Sweden riots erupted due to Eritrean clash blamed on Muslims by the right wing.
Claim
MusIims attacked the Eritrean community festival in Sweden. Monu Manesar along with Bajrang dal reached there too?
Rating
Explanation
Communal clashes broke out in Haryana during a religious procession organised by VHP and Bajrang Dal on July 31. Monu Manesar was named as the reason behind the violence since it all started from a video of him that circulated to express that he would participate in the Yatra, which was however denied later.
In this case, right-wing supporter and frequent misinformation peddler Mr Sinha tweeted a video of riots from Sweden asking if Monu Manesar along with Bajrang Dal reached there too. In addition to it, he claimed that Muslims attacked the Eritrean community festival in Sweden. Some of the other posts with similar claims can be viewed here and here.
https://twitter.com/raviagrawal3/status/1687249203058331648?s=46&t=kIszbQH_arRSG8kPbuGeZw
What is the truth?
When reverse searching the keyframes of the viral video we found matching visuals in a video uploaded by the WELT Youtube channel on 4, August 2023. This video is titled “ERITREA FESTIVAL: 50 injured, 100 arrested – violent riots also in Sweden”.
The description part mentions that after the riots at an Eritrea festival in Gießen, Hesse, riots erupted during a pro-government Eritrean festival near the Swedish capital Stockholm. Violent riots broke out during a gathering of government opponents near the festival site. The tabloid “Expressen” reported that around a thousand anti-government demonstrators broke through a police barrier and stormed the festival during a legally registered protest.
One of the most repressive countries in the world, Eritrea is an African country under the leadership of President Isaias Afwerki and has never had an election since its independence from Ethiopia three decades ago. Millions of people have fled conditions such as forced military conscription.
“Sweden is home to tens of thousands of people with Eritrean roots. The festival devoted to the cultural heritage of Eritrea is an annual event that has been held since the 1990s, but it has been criticised for allegedly serving as a promotional tool and source of money for the African nation’s government, according to Swedish media”, reported The Guardian.
WION reported that a clash broke out between the supporters and opponents of the Eritrea government in Sweden during the Eritrean festival. Multiple other reports including The Guardian reported the same. The two major religions followed by Eritreans are Christianity and Islam. None of the reports mentioned that it is caused by Muslims or people belonging to any other religion. The issue has no communal angle.
Conclusion
It is found that the video of riots that erupted due to a clash between pro and anti-Eritrea government groups in Sweden is shared to blame Muslims with no sufficient evidence.
