bThousands of demonstrators took to the streets in several German cities for pro-Palestinian rallies. According to police, almost 17,000 people demonstrated in Düsseldorf alone. Originally only 1,000 participants were registered by a private individual. According to their own statements, the police had to intervene in isolated cases. A police spokesman spoke late in the afternoon of an overall peaceful event. Several posters were seized that put the Holocaust into perspective. There will be criminal proceedings against this.
In Berlin, the police counted around 8,500 demonstrators on Saturday evening. There were several violations of conditions at the rally. “We found posters with criminal content,” said a police spokeswoman. Personal details were recorded in several dozen cases. The police recorded 64 reports, 16 of which were on suspicion of sedition. Several investigations have been initiated.
At the Berlin demonstration, Palestine flags and posters with slogans such as “Stop the genocide in Gaza” or “From the river to the sea – we demand equality” could be seen. Translated: From the river to the sea, we demand equality for all. This refers to the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. One speaker called for an end to the “apartheid culture” and a stop to the bombings in Gaza. Several pro-Palestinian groups called for the demonstration. “Many from the left-wing political spectrum who have already called for the “revolutionary May 1st demonstration” this year also mobilized,” according to the police.
In Essen, after a rally on Friday evening that was registered as a pro-Palestine demonstration, the police are checking whether crimes were committed. At the Essen rally, banners were shown demanding, among other things, the establishment of an Islamist caliphate. For example, Hizb ut-Tahrir, which has been banned from operating since 2003, is calling for this.
At the rally in Essen it became clear that the pro-Palestine theme had been a pretext for the rally, a police spokesman said on Saturday. The aim was to hold a religious event on the streets of Essen. During the rally, the police did not find any criminal violations in chants, symbols and flags. The demonstration was registered by a private individual. “We will examine everything carefully afterwards,” said the spokesman. It will be examined together with the public prosecutor’s office whether there is any criminal relevance.
In Duisburg, fewer than a hundred people took part in a pro-Palestinian rally in front of the main train station on Saturday. The police filed three criminal charges against participants for incitement to hatred and condoning crimes. Up to 400 people demonstrated in Münster. The police spoke of the incident being largely peaceful. The move led from the main train station to the city center. Two participants who shouted anti-Israel slogans with criminal implications during the final rally, as well as two other demonstrators, were taken into custody. In addition, the police issued ten expulsions because demonstrators held anti-Israel posters or distributed leaflets whose content suspected of incitement to hatred.
The Central Council of Muslims in Germany condemned anti-Semitic incidents at pro-Palestinian demonstrations and called for caution when taking part in rallies. There are “very clear violations, anti-Semitic violations of hatred of Jews,” said Central Council Chairman Aiman Mazyek on Deutschlandfunk on Saturday. “They must be punished.” He appealed to Muslims: “Be careful where you walk.” There are groups that use such demonstrations to chant slogans against Jews and anti-Semitism. “We don’t have to have it like that.”
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