Rioters allegedly assaulted police officers with sticks, rocks, and other projectiles.
On Saturday, North Carolina authorities arrested eight African Eritrean migrants on charges including riot and assault during a cultural festival in Charlotte.
The riot was sparked by a clash between rival Eritrean gangs, which resulted in a standoff lasting more than 10 hours. Rioters allegedly assaulted police officers with sticks, rocks, and other projectiles, and also set fire to a tractor. The Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department responded to the scene.
Police said one female was arrested and charged with inciting to riot, failure to disperse, injury to personal property, and assault on a government official. She reportedly assaulted an officer had been in possession of a firearm during the riot. Police seized the weapon.
The other seven rioters were charged with impeding traffic and failure to disperse.
The incident occurred around 11:30 am on Saturday in the parking lot of a business hosting the Eritrean cultural celebration on Monroe Road. CMPD responded to calls of an “unlawful protest.” After arriving on the scene, officers issued a dispersal order but the group refused to comply. The group was spilling out onto the public road, police said.
