Around 2,000 people protested in Düsseldorf on Saturday (November 18th) against the Israeli actions in the Gaza Strip. When the demonstration met a pro-Israel counter-demonstration with around 60 participants shortly after it started at the corner of Oststrasse and Steinstrasse, the opponents from the Middle East were directly face to face. Both the police, who were represented in large numbers, and the stewards of the Palestinian demonstration formed chains to prevent attacks.
Counter-demonstration on the corner of Steinstrasse and Oststrasse: There were demands to free the hostages and drive Hamas out of the Gaza Strip.
Both the police and the stewards of the Palestine demonstration formed chains to prevent attacks on the counter-demonstration.
Protest on Königsallee
Unlike two weeks ago, this time the demonstrators were allowed to march up Königsallee and down the opposite side towards Graf-Adolf-Platz. In their daily report, the Düsseldorf police wrote: “The demonstration took place without any significant incidents. Some reports were written against participants in the Palestine demonstration for violating the assembly law and for incitement. The police officers had to be flexible.
Posters complained about 11,000 civilian casualties and the bombing of Israel. There was no mention of the Hamas attack and the hostages.
Legal struggle over terms
As with the much larger demonstration 14 days ago, some of the key words used by the protesters against Israel should be banned. However, lawyers for the Palestinian organizers argued before the Düsseldorf Administrative Court that comparisons with genocide for the Israeli response to the Hamas terror with hostage-taking were covered by freedom of expression.
Anyone who bombs hospitals full of children and refugees is not on a path to peace, says the poster.
The demonstrators made extensive use of the vocabulary. The German media was accused of lying and chanted “Germany is funding, Israel is bombing.” Posters claimed that there was blood on the Germans’ hands.
Registrations until the end of the year
No participant mentioned that the Israeli bombardment would stop immediately if the hostages were released. “Bring them home” rang out from the counter-demonstration with Israel banners and photos of the hostages hidden by Hamas. The Palestinian demonstration on Johannes-Rau-Platz was broken up at 4:44 p.m. Combined with the information that demonstrations have been registered in Düsseldorf until the end of the year.
2023-11-19 00:37:48
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