STOCKHOLM: More than 50 people were injured and dozens detained in Stockholm Thursday as clashes broke out at an Eritrea-themed cultural festival, police and health officials said, with anti-government protesters trashing property at the site.
"Another public gathering took place close to the festival site, during which a violent riot broke out," police said, adding in a statement they had detained "around a hundred people".
Police said they remained at the scene in a suburb northwest of Stockholm and were "continuing their efforts to disrupt criminal acts and restore order."
They said they had also opened an investigation into violent rioting and arson as well as obstructing the work of police and rescue services.
Around 1,000 anti-government demonstrators authorised to hold a protest nearby broke through a police barrier as they stormed the festival, the tabloid Expressen reported.
They tore down festival tents, using tent spikes as weapons against police and throwing stones at officers, the paper said.
Police said at least 52 people had required medical attention, either at the scene or at local clinics and hospitals.
By 7:00 pm (1500 GMT), 15 people had been taken to hospital, regional healthcare authority Region Stockholm said in a separate statement.
Eight of them had "serious injuries," with the other seven sustaining "minor injuries," according to the authority, which added it had multiple units at the scene.
"It is a complicated and extensive operation. There are a lot of people in motion at the site and the total number of injuries is still unclear," Patrik Soderberg, chief physician at Region Stockholm, said.
Footage from the scene showed cars and at least one tent on fire, sending large clouds of black smoke into the air.
Police shut down a section of the nearby E18 motorway in both directions as people fleeing the scene blocked the road.
Sweden is home to tens of thousands of people with Eritrean roots.
The Eritrea-Scandinavia festival features seminars, debates and lectures, as well as music, a bazaar and a fairground.
The festival devoted to the cultural heritage of Eritrea is an annual event that has been held since the 1990s but has been criticized for allegedly serving as a promotional tool and source of money for the African nation’s government, according to Swedish media.
It is scheduled to run from Thursday to Sunday.
“This is not a festival, they are teaching their children hate speech,” protester Michael Kobrab told Swedish broadcaster TV4.
Human rights groups describe Eritrea as one of the world’s most repressive countries.
Since winning independence from Ethiopia three decades ago, the small Horn of Africa nation has been led by President Isaias Afwerki, who has never held an election.
Millions of people have fled conditions such as forced military conscription.
A festival participant, Emanuel Asmalash, also spoke to TV4 and accused the protesters of being “terrorists” from Ethiopia.
“It is not reasonable for Sweden to be drawn into other countries’ domestic conflicts in this way,” Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer said in a written statement to the Swedish news agency TT.
“If you flee to Sweden to escape violence, or are on a temporary visit, you must not cause violence here," he added. "The police’s resources are needed for other purposes than keeping different groups apart from each other.”
(With inputs from AFP and AP)