Summary of yesterday’s meetings

Mitte/Neukölln
Nr. 1748
Yesterday, police forces in Mitte and Neukölln supervised five meetings related to, among other things, the Middle East conflict, the Ukraine war and the issue of religious freedom.

Gatherings and incidents related to the Middle East conflict

The meeting with the theme “Solidarity with Palestine Stop the genocide, no weapons for Israel” began at around 5.40 p.m. at the Neptune Fountain with around 180 participants. The procession then set off at 6 p.m. with around 220 people. During the course of the route, event participants chanted “From the river to the sea” several times. This caused the procession to be stopped at several locations. When restrictions on freedom followed, emergency services had to use force in the form of pushing and shoving against event participants who were streaming in. In Friedrichstrasse, during a measure to restrict freedom after a seditious shout, a PET bottle was thrown from the elevator at a service employee, who, however, remained unharmed. The meeting leader ended his meeting early at around 7.40 p.m. on Leipziger Strasse at his own request. At this time, around 400 people were attending the meeting, who then left the venue. By 8 p.m., there were no former participants left at the venue.

In consultation with the police forces, a spontaneous meeting entitled “Bring them home now” took place from 7:30 p.m. to 7:40 p.m. at the corner of Potsdamer Platz and Erna-Berger-Straße, with eight people taking part. This event was declared a counter-event to the meeting “Solidarity with Palestine Stop the Genocide No Weapons for Israel”.

Police officers later encountered several groups of people at Herrmannplatz, where they were spoken to and asked to disperse. In some cases, coercive measures such as pushing and shoving were used, and as a result unknown persons set off two pyrotechnic items.

Meetings related to religious freedom

At around 4:50 p.m., a meeting entitled “Defend religious freedom: keep your hands off our places of worship” began with around 500 participants at Invalidenpark. At around 5:15 p.m., the procession with around 550 people set off and reached the final location on Willy-Brandt-Strasse at around 6 p.m. Around 350 people took part in the final rally that followed. The event manager ended the trouble-free event with around 200 people at around 7:40 p.m.

The rally “Counter-demonstration. The IZH and the mosques allied with it in Germany are henchmen of the anti-Semitic execution and gender apartheid regime in Iran. They must be closed. (…)” began at 4:30 p.m. with 60 participants on the sidewalk of Paul-Löbe-Allee between Heinrich-von-Gagern-Straße and Annemarie-Renger-Straße. At its peak, 75 people attended the event. It was ended by the leader of the meeting at around 7:50 p.m. with 15 participants. At around 7:55 p.m., a former participant threatened a man who had taken part in the meeting “Defend religious freedom: keep your hands off our places of worship.” Criminal proceedings have been initiated against him.

Meeting and event related to the Ukraine war

A rally entitled “Independence Day of Ukraine” started at around 4:10 p.m. on March 18 Square with around 100 participants. At its peak, around 450 people attended the rally. It ended without incident at around 9 p.m.

At around 4:50 p.m., a 59-year-old man of Ukrainian nationality, who was not a participant in the rally, stabbed himself in the stomach with a knife at March 18 Square. According to current information, he did not intend to attack any of the participants with the knife. He was taken to hospital and released at around 6:30 p.m.

In total, there were 18 restrictions on freedom and ten criminal investigations were initiated for breach of the peace, physical attacks on law enforcement officers, incitement, threats, attempted prisoner release, use of symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organizations and resistance against law enforcement officers. Around 700 police officers were deployed yesterday to supervise the above-mentioned gatherings. (