Calgary police suspect Calgary violent conflict involving 150 individuals connected to internal clashes within Eritrean community

Calgary police say they are investigating a “violent conflict” between two groups involving around 150 people on Saturday night that may be related to clashes within the Eritrean community.

Police said officers responded to an incident in northeast Falconridge around 5 pm Saturday after receiving reports of two groups with opposing views engaging in violent acts. They said they believe up to 150 people were involved and many were brandishing weapons.

Superintendent Cliff O’Brien said police were prepared with additional resources in case of clashes like those seen in Edmonton and Toronto.

Several people were taken to the hospital by EMS, O’Brien said.

“It was a very violent event. We have assigned detectives to investigate and that is what they will do,” he said, adding that police believe some people in the groups had hidden weapons before the incident.

“They were actively trying to assault police officers. I think the fact that we have a number of people injured, some with quite serious injuries, I think the whole incident is concerning. On top of that, this affected the entire city because we had to take out resources from other areas,” O’Brien said.

There was violence at an Eritrean festival in Edmonton last month and a similar confrontation in Toronto earlier that month. At these events, protesters from the Eritrean diaspora opposed events that were advertised as celebrating Eritrean culture.

The Calgary Police Service said it considers this a serious event and has dedicated resources to keep the peace.

“This is not a protest. This is a violent conflict between two groups with opposing views,” O’Brien said.

Police asked Calgarians to avoid the Falconridge community for the time being in areas targeted by officers.