There is great consternation in Essen: Islamists also marched through the city during an anti-Israel demonstration. Representatives of the Jewish community already have an idea of how to deal with them.
Essen – They waved Islamist flags and loudly chanted anti-Israel slogans: A pro-Palestinian demonstration on Friday in Essen caused a stir nationwide. Around 3,000 participants were out and about in the North Rhine-Westphalia city, some carrying posters calling for the establishment of a caliphate in Germany. Afterwards, Essen’s mayor Thomas Kufen (CDU) spoke of a march by “Islamists, anti-democrats and Jew-haters”. Fear of anti-Semitic escalations is now growing among the Jews in the city.
Anti-Israel demonstration in Essen: “Incidents have reached a new dimension”
“The incidents have reached a new dimension,” says Schalwa Chemsurashvili, the chairman of the Jewish religious community in Essen. “I didn’t think something like that was possible on the streets.” The demonstration was organized by the so-called “Generation Islam”. Security experts see the group as being close to Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT). The HuT is an Islamist movement that aims to establish a global caliphate state – that is, an Islamic state with a religious leader.
“You could see symbols and flags that the Taliban and the Islamic State use at the demonstration,” says Schalwa Chemsurashvili. Some demonstrators repeatedly stuck their right index finger in the air. On the one hand, the gesture is a symbol of God among Muslims, but in recent years it has also been used primarily by sympathizers of the terrorist organization Islamic State.
The controversial “Generation Islam” is one of the organizers of the demonstration in Essen
Among the key speakers on Friday was the activist Ahmad Tahmim, a prominent face of “Generation Islam”. This is particularly active on social media and produces influencer-style YouTube clips with quick cuts and simple slogans. On Facebook, the group speaks of a “genocide of the Zionists against the Palestinians” in relation to the Middle East conflict and the war in Israel and asks: “How long do we want to stand idly by as the Kuffar (Editor’s note: infidels ) systematically destroy our societies?” The only solution is the “rightly guided caliphate”.
Pro-Palestine demonstration: “These people have abused democracy”
Schalwa Chemsurashvili from the Jewish community in Essen is shocked by such rhetoric. He says: “Everyone should be able to demonstrate here, freedom of expression applies. But these people misused democracy to spread radical, anti-Semitic theses.” Many in his community are now worried about escalations, including violent ones. This makes it all the more important that politicians and the judiciary act now: “If people are not afraid of If there are consequences, it will get worse and worse.” If individual demonstrators have violated the law, it can be easily found out. “They weren’t masked. The state must intervene. I would like the police and judiciary to do something,” said Chemsurashvili.
Police initiate proceedings on suspicion of sedition
The incidents are currently being processed there. According to the Essen police, “an investigative commission had already been set up at the State Security Criminal Inspectorate over the weekend.” In the meantime, the police, in coordination with the public prosecutor’s office, have initiated criminal proceedings on suspicion of sedition against the key speaker at the meeting. There were also pro-Palestine demonstrations in other cities over the weekend, mostly without any special incidents. (pen)
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