Violence erupted once again in Berlin’s Kreuzberg district on the night of Wednesday, May 15th, as pro-Palestinian activists clashed with police at Südstern. The protest escalated into chaos when participants threw beverage cans, bottles, and other objects at the police, some of whom were also reportedly splashed with red paint. The incident marked another flare-up in a city once known for its order and stability.
Police spokesman Florian Nath told German news agency dpa that one police officer was pulled into the crowd and pushed to the ground. The officer received first aid from an emergency doctor, reportedly including the use of a defibrillator, and was subsequently taken to the hospital. Other police officers were also injured, and at least one of them was diagnosed with a broken hand. Around 30 people have been provisionally arrested for various offenses.
Originally, the protest march, commemorating the Palestinian Nakba, was supposed to lead from Südstern to Neukölln, but the police (unsurprisingly) prohibited this, citing the increased potential for conflict with a longer march. In the first instance, the Administrative Court sided with the organisers and permitted the demonstration, finding the police ban disproportionate and stating that freedom of assembly also protected the form of the demonstration. However, following a police appeal, the Higher Administrative Court ruled that, for reasons of public safety, only a ‘stationary’ demonstration at Südstern was permissible.
But even this proved to be insufficient to prevent the escalation of the protest. As Apollo News reported, speakers and the crowd shouted slogans such as “Israel, child murderer, Israel, woman murderer, Israel, baby murderer,” “Yallah, yallah Intifada,” and “From the River to the Sea.” Germany was also criticized for supplying weapons to Israel, and police officials on the scene were insulted with chants such as “German police officers—murderers and fascists.”
