An illegal pro-Palestine demonstration in Berlin turned ugly, resulting in dozens of police officers being injured and 174 protestors arrested on October 18.
Taking place in the Neukölln borough of the German capital, the ensuing violence represented a second night of rioting in the capital.
Die Stimmung in #Neukölln kippt. Feuerbarrikaden, Feuerwerkskörper und „Free Palestine“ Rufe. Die Polizei scheint machtlos zu sein. pic.twitter.com/FWgpZ2Z2r2
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— Junge Freiheit (@Junge_Freiheit) October 18, 2023
Footage shows protestors discharging fireworks in the direction of police, as well as setting up blazing barricades.
The local police’s official social media outlets confirmed the violence, reporting that both officers and innocent third parties had been targeted by some demonstrators.
Die Lage in Berlin scheint außer Kontrolle.
Doppel-Staatsbürger, Einwanderer, Geduldete, illegale Migranten, Hamas-Unterstützer und -Sympathisanten, Linksextremisten haben Berlin Neukölln in Brand gesetzt.
Wo bleibt das versprochene harte Durchgreifen?pic.twitter.com/tv5wnzRmFw
— Georg Pazderski (@Georg_Pazderski) October 19, 2023
“Colleagues have been injured in the past few hours by stones, burning liquids … among other things,” the force wrote. “But injuries also occurred to bystanders and people who resisted.”
Later reports indicated that around 65 law enforcement officials were hurt during the night’s violence.
Leftists in Spain have demanded that the country’s next government officially recognise the state of Palestine in return for them joining a planned rainbow coalition. https://t.co/N2WZzq5ujW
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) October 17, 2023
While pro-Palestine protests have officially been banned in Berlin, attempts to clamp down on demonstrations criticising Israel have had little effect.
Numerous marches, peaceful and otherwise, have taken place in the German capital since the Hamas terror attacks on Israel on October 7. Chants such as “allahu akbar”, “free Palestine” and “Palestine to victory” have been increasingly heard on the streets.
The protests have been a source of embarrassment for the German Government, which has attempted to portray the country as a stalwart ally of Israel.
Speaking of the latest incident, the German interior minister Nancy Faeser denounced the violence, saying it went against her country’s culture of free expression.
“I want to condemn very clearly what happened on the streets in Berlin last night,” she said, adding that any use of violence against police was “not okay”.
Despite vocal support for Palestine, there is strong opposition in Egypt and Jordan to the acceptance of refugees from the region. https://t.co/ECkBtkGduB
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) October 18, 2023
