Berlin (dpa) – After the terrorist attack by the Islamist Hamas on Israel, hundreds of people in Germany tried to demonstrate for the cause of the Palestinians and against Israeli counterattacks over the weekend.
There were bans on gatherings in Berlin and Frankfurt am Main and the police intervened. Protests were allowed in Cologne and Düsseldorf. Sometimes many more people came than registered. Many Jews in Germany are worried about their safety even more than usual because of the heated atmosphere.
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser promised them increased protection. “It’s terrible that many families are worried,” said the SPD politician to “Bild am Sonntag”. “The signal is all the more important: We are firmly at your side! We are doing everything we can to protect you.” The highest priority is to protect Jews in Germany and Jewish and Israeli institutions. “The protection has been strengthened again,” said Faeser. The Interior Minister also announced: “We will use all legal options to expel Hamas supporters.”
CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt said in the “BamS”: “We need a tough course against Jew and Israel haters with consistency and severity.” Without a commitment to Israel’s right to exist, there should no longer be any asylum or other protection status in Germany.
New gatherings in Berlin
Last week, some demonstrators in Berlin-Neukölln cheered the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7th. Politicians including Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier reacted indignantly. Because of fears of further extremist statements, the Berlin police issued a ban on demonstrations.
Nevertheless, according to the police, around 1,000 people came together for a pro-Palestine demonstration on Sunday afternoon at Potsdamer Platz in Berlin-Mitte. The emergency services asked them to leave the place. As dpa reporters observed, objects were thrown. There were scuffles between demonstrators and police and several arrests.
Previously, there had been repeated gatherings of people at the weekend, especially in Neukölln. On Saturday evening, firecrackers were set off and “Free Palastine” was chanted, as a dpa reporter observed. The police temporarily detained some people. Three resisted, the police said. Bottles were occasionally thrown.
Protestverbot in Frankfurt am Main
In Frankfurt am Main, a pro-Palestinian demonstration scheduled for Saturday was finally banned after a judicial review. Possible participants in the rally left the Opera Square after repeated requests and expulsions, a police spokesman said. But at times around 200 to 300 demonstrators continued to march through the city center and shouted: “Germany is funding, Israel is bombing” and “Freedom for Palestine”. At the same time there were pro-Israel rallies in Frankfurt.
Demonstrations in Cologne and Düsseldorf
In Cologne, the administrative court overturned the ban on a pro-Palestine demonstration in the immediate vicinity of a pro-Israel gathering. The police banned the event at the Heumarkt on Friday and justified this with clear indications of a tightened security situation. But the court did not follow this.
In Düsseldorf, 50 people were registered for a demonstration entitled “Free Palestine” – but around 700 came on Saturday afternoon, a police spokeswoman said. Despite the emotional mood, the police did not record any incidents. Israel is threatening a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip in response to Hamas attacks. This could mean that the mood in Germany could also heat up further.
2023-10-15 22:48:13
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