Gaza war
Court examines police ban on pro-Palestinian gatherings
A large police presence, a heated atmosphere, a premature end – this is what is often seen in events in the context of the Gaza war. The judge observed the police’s actions.
The Berlin Administrative Court is reviewing today (09:30) whether police action against pro-Palestinian gatherings is justified in the context of the Gaza war. The plaintiffs were organizers of demonstrations in December 2023 and the Palestinian Congress in April 2024. From their point of view, the police ban was in each case unlawful. A decision from the court is expected the same day, a court spokesman said.
Demonstrations have occurred regularly in Berlin since the terrorist attack by the Islamist group Hamas against Israel on October 7 2023 and the Gaza war that followed. Police and public prosecutors in Berlin have recorded thousands of crimes related to the Middle East conflict in the past two years. Several crimes occurred during pro-Palestinian demonstrations, including attacks and resistance against police officers, but also various acts of propaganda such as incitement to hatred and support for terrorism.
Two different constellations
The trial at the State Administrative Court now addresses two different constellations: In the first case, it concerns a public meeting whose motto “From the river to the sea, you will get the hug you need” (German: “From the river to the sea you will get the hug you need”) is prohibited.
There are different legal assessments nationally regarding the criminality of the pro-Palestinian slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” The Berlin prosecutor’s office assumed he was criminally responsible. Therefore, the police intervened when people shouted the slogan. This sentence means that there must be an independent Palestine in the area from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean – where Israel is now located.
The second case (11:30) is about the banning of the Palestine Congress, which was planned to take place on April 12-14 2024. However, the police broke up the meeting shortly after it started and banned it.
dpa
