Falconridge riot: All charges dropped against one side in Eritrean conflict as others head to trial
28 were charged after riot between 2 Eritrean groups last September
All charges have been dropped against members of one of the two groups of Eritreans who violently clashed in northeast Calgary last September, CBC News has learned.
Earlier this month, prosecutors were directed to withdraw charges against eight people.
On Sept. 2, about 150 people belonging to two factions of the Eritrean community — those seen as pro-regime versus anti-regime protesters — fought each other at the Falconridge Plaza with many brandishing weapons.
In the days after the melee, the Calgary Police Service (CPS) established a task force to investigate the conflict. Police laid a total of 63 charges against 28 people.
Blue group vs. white group
Those charged belong to two groups: the white group and the blue group, labelled by police and prosecutors based on the colour of the T-shirts worn by members.
The blue group, which is staunchly anti-regime, has long-accused the white group of fundraising for the Eritrean military and supporting dictator Isaias Afwerki.
On the evening of Sept. 2, members of the white group held what it described as a cultural celebration at the Magnolia Banquet Hall on Falconridge Boulevard N.E.
Members of the blue group attended the event to protest. Twenty members were charged in the aftermath.
Eight people from the white group were also charged. This group saw all charges withdrawn.
"The assigned prosecutors conducted a review of the charges against these individuals and concluded that the test for a prosecution was not met and as such charges have been withdrawn," said the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service in a statement.
'In the public interest to prosecute'
CPS said the service worked with prosecutors during the investigation but respects the Crown's independence.
"While we maintain our belief that it is in the public interest to prosecute all the individuals charged, we respect that the Crown applies a different test when determining whether to prosecute than the police do when laying charges," reads CPS's statement.
The police service said it would "continue to vigorously respond to any future incidents of violence in our city."
Three separate trials are set to take place in 2025 for members of the blue group.
During the violent outbreak, police were threatened, car and business windows were smashed and 11 people were injured, according to CPS.
At the time, police called the incident "the largest violent event to happen in our city in recent memory."
Building tensions and frustrations over Eritrea's authoritarian government and ongoing violence in the northeast African country have led to clashes at cultural festivals in other Canadian cities.
Last August, there was violence at an Eritrean festival in Edmonton, and a similar clash at one in Toronto with conflicting political ideologies on either side of the conflict.
Reporters Without Borders has ranked Eritrea as more repressive than North Korea.
Eritrea has one of the highest numbers of refugees per capita, as people flee violence, detention without trial in military-run prisons, and forced conscription, according to the UN.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With files from Elise Stolte