More than 150 injured in clash at Eritrean Embassy event in Tel Aviv

More than 150 Eritrean asylum seekers and dozens of police were injured Saturday in Tel Aviv after demonstrations outside an event sponsored by the Eritrean Embassy turned violent, Israeli officials said.

The melee was the latest violence to break out at global festivals to celebrate 30 years of Eritrean independence but which have sparked fury among the opponents of longtime Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, one of the most repressive leaders in the world. Israeli police in riot gear and on horseback struggled to disperse crowds as rioters broke store windows, grappled with officers and smashed vehicle windshields.

At least 16 of the protesters suffered serious injuries in the brawl, according to Israeli media. A hospital said it was treating 11 gunshot victims. Police used rubber bullets and stun grenades to quell the violence, and officials advised residents to avoid the area in central Tel Aviv. The Israeli emergency medical service said it was holding a special blood drive at two hospitals in the city to treat the wounded.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was briefed on the situation and ordered police to deploy the forces needed to restore order, according to his office. By late afternoon, police said they had removed most of the protesters from the neighborhood by bus and declared the scene to be under control.

Most of the Eritreans were refugees and asylum seekers who fled forced conscription and repression in the East African country, which Afwerki has led since its independence from Ethiopia in 1993. Some Afwerki supporters were reportedly at the scene, fighting with government opponents.

Police said protesters entered the public hall, smashed chairs and vandalized displays. Police were able to clear the area after morning clashes, but protesters returned in significant numbers in the afternoon and the riot spread.

Similar clashes have flared at recent Eritrean events across Europe and North America. Government critics have sought to use the celebrations as a way to draw attention to the human rights abuses carried out under Afwerki.