‘We don’t have any riots’ — Eritrea Festival in downtown Tacoma delays drivers Saturday
The Tacoma Police Department issued a traffic advisory Saturday for areas of downtown in response to activity surrounding a planned weekend festival.
The department on Saturday said it anticipated “traffic issues around a planned venue today in the downtown region.”
“At this time, our department has deployed numerous officers to ensure the continued safety of community members, event staff and attendees,” the department said.
Police on Saturday closed some downtown-area streets.
“Currently, traffic is blocked on Market Street from South 13th Street to South 15th Street and South 15th Street from Pacific Avenue to Tacoma Avenue.”
“Please use alternate routes and allow additional travel time in the downtown area.”
The area is near the Greater Tacoma Convention Center, where the 49th Annual Eritrean Festival, an internationally-themed event, was scheduled Aug. 4-6.
Police media representative Shelbie Boyd told The News Tribune that demonstrators had come to the area early Saturday.
“There were some tents set up. And demonstrators came in and knocked them down.”
She described confrontations as scuffles “that have quickly ended.”
“At this point, we don’t have any riots or anything of that nature,” she said. “There have been small conflicts that have taken place, but they’ve quickly ended.”
Boyd said the department had deployed more officers to the area, but no arrests had been made.
The department’s emergency operations center had been activated at headquarters, she added, “to monitor the event.”
Similar festivals have attracted protests and clashes in other cities. On Aug. 3, The Guardian online news site reported dozens were injured after protesters stormed the Eritrean festival in Stockholm, Sweden.
The festivals promoting Eritrea’s culture have attracted opponents in recent years as human rights groups describe the country in the Horn of Africa region of Eastern Africa “as one of the world’s most repressive countries,” The Guardian reported.
Police in the German state of Hessen said there were “massive attacks” against their officers during an Eritrean festival in that area last month, CNN reported.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
This story was originally published August 5, 2023 at 11:44 AM.
