On the occasion of the Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023 in Israel and the Gaza war it triggered, there were demonstrations and commemorative events in several German cities. More than 8,000 people gathered in the Bavarian capital under the motto “365 days – Munich against anti-Semitism”. This weekend’s event was probably the largest demonstration against anti-Semitism in the country. Among those taking part were the Israeli ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor, and the president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster. Almost within sight, a counter-demonstration by the group “Palestine Speaks Munich” took place under the slogan “365 days of genocide”, in which around 1,200 people took part.
There were also several demonstrations in Berlin, and the police broke up a pro-Palestinian protest march after unrest. The meeting took place under the motto “Demo against genocide in Gaza”. According to the Berlin police, there were riots with stones and bottles being thrown at police officers. Demonstrators tried to break through a police line, fireworks were set off and several people were arrested. “Due to the lack of peace, the meeting was broken off,” said a police spokeswoman. The police cited crimes committed within the gathering as the reason for the measure. “Public safety” was at risk, she announced over the loudspeaker.
According to the police, around 3,500 people took part in the rally. 1,000 participants were announced. According to their own information, the police had 600 officers on site. The participants ran from Kottbusser Tor in Kreuzberg to Lenaustraße on the border with Neukölln. The route was originally planned to reach Sonnenallee in Neukölln.
Pro-Israel event at the Brandenburg Gate
Numerous people also gathered at the Brandenburg Gate for a pro-Israel demonstration. They spread out a large Israel flag in front of the landmark. 500 people were expected to attend the rally under the motto “Together against Hamas’s crime against Israelis and Palestinians. For the release of the hostages and the end of Hamas rule in Gaza.” The protest march was supposed to go to Bebelplatz. Empty chairs there were intended to commemorate the hostages kidnapped by the terrorist organization Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Rallies also in Düsseldorf and Hamburg
According to the police, almost 1,000 people took part in a memorial march by the global movement “Run for their lives” in Düsseldorf, and around 400 participants gathered in Hamburg for a protest march in solidarity with Israel. The movement regularly commemorate the hostages and victims of the Hamas attack with memorial walks. According to police estimates, around 950 people took part in pro-Palestinian parallel events in Hamburg and more than 1,000 people in Düsseldorf.
Demonstrations in Rabat and Ankara
Demonstrations also took place outside of Germany to mark the anniversary. Tens of thousands of people gathered in Morocco on Sunday in solidarity with the Palestinians. In the Moroccan capital Rabat, protesters called, among other things, for the severance of relations between the kingdom and Israel. Participants also denied the existence of the state, as the AFP news agency reported. In 2020, Morocco, together with other states, initiated a phase of normalization of its relations with Israel.
© Lea Dohle
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A rally under the motto “Resistance to Genocide – Protest March in Support of Palestine” took place in the Turkish capital Ankara. Bilal Erdoğan, son of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, also took part. Erdoğan has ties to Hamas, which he describes as a “liberation organization.”
Hamas attack on Israel
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On the occasion of the Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023 in Israel and the Gaza war it triggered, there were demonstrations and commemorative events in several German cities. More than 8,000 people gathered in the Bavarian capital under the motto “365 days – Munich against anti-Semitism”. This weekend’s event was probably the largest demonstration against anti-Semitism in the country. Among those taking part were the Israeli ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor, and the president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster. Almost within sight, a counter-demonstration by the group “Palestine Speaks Munich” took place under the slogan “365 days of genocide”, in which around 1,200 people took part.
