'No right to create violence': Edmonton's mayor condemns day-long protest that saw 11 injured

What was supposed to be a peaceful soccer tournament on Saturday turned into a violent confrontation that spanned multiple Edmonton neighbourhoods, saw at least 11 injured and police reading the Riot Act.

The tournament was put on by an Eritrean group as a celebration of culture.

According to the Edmonton Police Service, the event began at St. Francis Xavier High School in west Edmonton Saturday morning.

A group protesting the Eritrean government showed up at the event, and conflict began between the two groups.

Police and the city elected to cancel the permit for the festival.

Around 11 a.m., police learned that the groups had reconvened at Rosslyn School.

According to police, an altercation took place between the groups, and one person was assaulted with an object and taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Officers in riot gear broke up the confrontation and dispersed the crowd.

Ten additional people who were involved in the altercation also reported to hospital, according to police.

Around 4 p.m., demonstrators surrounded a banquet hall in the area of 92 Street and 34A Avenue that was associated with the Eritrean event and police responded to the scene.

Edmonton police stand on 93 Street in south Edmonton on Aug. 19, 2023, keeping in place of group of people who say they were there to protest the Eritrean government. (CTV News Edmonton / Sean McClune)

"Demonstrators hurled projectiles at officers, including stones and bricks, resulting in the use of various tactics to gain control of the crowd; no officers were injured nor were there any initial reports of injuries from any demonstrators," EPS spokeswoman Carolin Maran wrote in a Monday news release.

Three demonstrators were detained and subsequently released. No charges have been laid.

'A VERY COMPLEX SITUATION'

One political scientist says a complex political situation in Eritrea makes it difficult to know what was behind the conflict on Saturday.

"It's supposed to be a peaceful event promoting Eritrean tradition. Seems very benign, but people have strong views on the government," said Chaldeans Mensah, a political scientist at MacEwan University. "This is a government that is brutal, very authoritarian. So people associate any celebration of the country as supporting the government."

MacEwan University political scientist Chaldeans Mensah speaks to CTV News Edmonton's David Ewasuk on Aug. 21, 2023.

Mensah says Isaias Afwerki has been the president of Eritrea since the country became independent from Ethiopia in 1993.

"What is effectively happening is that there's an expression of political opposition to that regime and anything associated with it, or perceived by these people as being linked to the regime," he said, adding the Eritrean government is also involved with the Ethiopian government in the conflict in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia.

"The Tigrayan population in Edmonton, they are opposed to anything dealing with Eritrea because they see Eritrea as supporting the crackdown in their own province in the country," Mensah said.

"Conceivably, you could have anti-government groups in Edmonton, but also anti-Eritrean groups from the Tigray population, so it’s a very complex situation."

Mensah says most Canadians aren't interested in how or why the conflict occurred, they just find the violence unacceptable.

Police in riot gear at an event celebrating Eritrean culture in Edmonton on Aug. 19, 2023.

"I think this is not going to play very well amongst the general public. Yes, there is a place for expressing political dissent … but when the tone or position is expressed in violence, you likely lose Canadians."

"It gives a sense that they are importing their conflict onto Canadian soil." 

It's a sentiment echoed by Edmonton's mayor, who's calling the situation on Saturday unacceptable.

"People have the right to protest, but this was not the right venue," Mayor Amarjeet Sohi told CTV News Edmonton on Monday. "People have no right to create violence and put other people’s safety at risk. I'm glad that police intervened in a timely fashion. I commend them for controlling the situation."

RIOT ACT READ FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 1999

As the Eritrean event continued on Sunday, EPS was called to a disturbance at a community hall in the area of 127 Avenue and 120 Street around 10 p.m.

When officers arrived, they determined a pellet gun had been used to shoot out the windows of nearby vehicles.

Because of ongoing safety concerns, police say the event was concluded and the participants left the hall.

Additional officers were called in for crowd control.

Police say they had worked with the Eritrean festival organizers ahead of the event to come up with a plan of operation and risk assessment.

"The EPS was aware of possible clashes between the Eritrean Festival attendees and demonstrators, and completed this process prior to Saturday’s planned festivities, consulting with the organizers of both groups," Maran said. "The goal was to support citizens in their right to peaceful assembly and ensure public safety for both festival and demonstration attendees."

Maran also confirmed the last time the Riot Act was read in Edmonton was during the Canada Day in 1999.

"Protective gear and the reading of the Riot Act are not always simultaneous, and officers have worn the gear to many events where significant risk to officers or the public is a possibility," Maran said.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's David Ewasuk