Updated: 15.05.202121:26
—
The Middle East conflict is also echoed in Germany: at a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Berlin, participants beat police officers. News ticker.
- In Germany there were demonstrations in several cities on Saturday against the background of violence in the Middle East.
- In Berlin in particular, the situation has escalated in the meantime: demonstrators beat police officers and threw stones at them (see update from May 15, 6:32 p.m.).
- In Stuttgart, the police spoke of tumultuous scenes (see update from May 15, 7:05 p.m.).
- This news ticker is continuously updated.
–
Update from May 15, 9:24 p.m .: After a pro-Palestinian rally in Mannheim According to the police, the forces were pelted with stones. Four officers were slightly injured, said a spokesman on Saturday evening. In addition, a man tried to light an Israeli flag. The police stopped that and arrested the man. It is also being investigated because of a banner with allegedly criminally relevant content. Because the corona distance rules were not adhered to, the assembly authority had ended the rally with up to 500 people on Saturday afternoon, according to the police. Afterwards, several groups went through the city. Because no follow-up events were allowed, according to the spokesman, the police are investigating two groups for violating the assembly law and possibly also for breach of the peace.
Demonstration in Stuttgart: tumultuous scenes, but no injuries
Update from May 15, 7:05 p.m .: Berlin, Hamburg, Hanover, Leipzig, Cologne and many more: demonstrators took to the streets in some cities on Saturday (see update from May 15, 6:32 p.m. and first report). The background is the violence in the Israel-Hamas conflict. Even at a pro-Palestinian rally in Stuttgart According to the police, there were tumultuous scenes on Saturday. There were no injuries, said a police spokesman. There were significantly more people than the registered 50, at the same time there were also counter-demonstrators. There were conflicts between the various groups of demonstrators as well as with the police.
Participants in a pro-Palestinian demonstration wave flags on Marienplatz in Stuttgart.
© Photo: Andreas Rosar / dpa
–
Demonstrations in Stuttgart, Freiburg and Frankfurt: some thousands of participants
Also in Freiburg the police said of a partly heated mood at a rally with up to 600 participants, also organized by the “Palestine Speaks” initiative. Banners with provocative – but not criminally relevant – content were also shown there. Both the leader of the meeting and the police made the participants refrain from doing so, it said.
Around 2500 people also demonstrated in the Frankfurt city center for a free Palestine. Many of the participants came with Palestinian flags. There were no major incidents, according to a police spokesman. The police broke up the gathering at 6 p.m. because of alleged violations of the conditions.
Middle East conflict with echo in Germany: numerous demonstrations
Update from May 15, 6:32 p.m .: Under the impression of the growing violence in the Middle East, people took to the streets in numerous German cities on Saturday to protest against Israel’s actions and to express their solidarity with the Palestinians (see first report). At the same time, there were also small solidarity rallies for the Israeli population in many places. Several pro-Palestinian demonstrations led to incidents, and isolated riots.
In Berlin Protesters beat police officers and threw stones and bottles at them. Fireworks were also thrown. The police used pepper spray. According to her, there were injuries and arrests, a police spokesman did not initially name specific figures. The reporter Julius Geiler reported on Twitter that “large cobblestones flew every second” on Friedelstrasse. Protesters tried to break down the doors of residential buildings.
The police are holding a participant in the demonstration of various Palestinian groups in Berlin-Neukölln.
© Fabian Sommer / dpa
–
Demonstration in Cologne: Participants climb on equestrian statue and unfurl the Palestinian flag
Also in Cologne around 800 people demonstrated against Israel and for Palestine. They waved Palestinian flags and signs with inscriptions such as “Freedom for Palestine” and “Stop the Genocide”, but also “Against Zionists – not against Jews”. Since about twice as many people had come as registered, the corona distances could not be adhered to in the space provided for the rally in Cologne’s old town. Therefore, the leader of the meeting ended the demonstration prematurely, said a police spokesman. Two participants climbed an equestrian statue during the rally and unfurled a Palestinian flag. At the request of the police – who were present with massive forces – they came down again.
Demonstration in Leipzig: Word battles between demonstrators – the situation has calmed down
In Leipzig again, according to the police, at times up to 400 people took part in a “pro-Palestine” demonstration. According to estimates, they faced around 200 participants in a “Pro Israel” rally. At first, the mood was briefly heated, between the two sides, some demonstrators had fights of words, said a police spokesman. However, the situation has not escalated any further and has calmed down.
Riots at the pro-Palestinian demonstration in Berlin – participants hit the police
First report from May 15th: Berlin / Hamburg / Hanover – At a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Berlin According to the police, around 3500 participants saw massive riots on Saturday. Stones and bottles were thrown at the police from the ranks of the demonstrators who had gathered to protest in the face of the escalation of violence in the Middle East, and fireworks were also thrown at the security forces. Protesters beat police officers. The police used pepper spray.
Demonstration in Berlin dissolved because participants did not adhere to the order
The police had declared the protest to be dissolved because of the violation of the Corona hygiene rules. “Clearances were not kept, mouth and nose coverings were partially removed again when starting,” the Berlin police wrote on Twitter. Since demonstrators did not adhere to the order, the officials on Sonnenallee in Neukölln took action against them. From the demonstration shouts like “child murderer Israel”, “woman murderer Israel” and “free Palestine” were loud.
Before that, another demonstration with around 120 participants from Hermannplatz to Neukölln Town Hall had gone off peacefully. There should be another demonstration in the afternoon. In an appeal, the struggle for “a free Palestine, from the Jordan to the Mediterranean”, that is, on today’s territory of Israel, was called for. A total of 360 police officers were on duty.
Participants in the demonstration of various Palestinian groups walk through Neukölln with Palestine flags.
© Fabian Sommer / dpa
–
Demonstration in Hamburg: Highly emotional mood
Against the backdrop of escalating violence in the Middle East, Hamburg Hundreds of demonstrators showed solidarity with the Palestinians on Saturday. Slogans and a map of Palestine were displayed on banners, and Palestine flags were waved. After a peaceful rally with around 120 participants on the Gänsemarkt, 400 to 500 demonstrators gathered in Ottensen that afternoon, according to police. The mood there was highly emotional, said a police spokesman. The situation got worse when some people appeared with Israel flags. The police broke up the meeting.
Demonstration in Hanover: The situation remained calm – but water cannons were parked nearby
In Hannover A massive police presence accompanied different groups, which drew attention to the military escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. According to the police, around 800 people took part in the events in various parts of the city by the afternoon. A police spokesman described the situation as calm. The police were present in the city center with strong forces. Water cannons were also parked near the venues.
Many demonstrators condemned Israel’s military actions in the Gaza Strip and called for an end to the “oppression of the Palestinian people”. At the main station there was a rally under the motto “Against all anti-Semitism – Solidarity with Israel”. Another demonstration turned against the “attacks by Turkey on South Kurdistan”, according to the police. In Hildesheim around 130 demonstrators took part in a gathering on the topic of “War in Israel”. The event was basically peaceful and trouble-free, according to the police. (dpa / food)
Headline list image: © Photo: Andreas Rosar / dpa
–
.jpg?h=240064b5&itok=9bUkx10j "Woman in Voorschoten rescued from tree after trying to help cat")