At least ten police officers were injured during a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Berlin-Kreuzberg on Thursday, according to police reports. The protest, which turned violent, led to several clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement. One officer sustained serious injuries after being dragged into the crowd and kicked. He was taken to the hospital for treatment. A police spokesperson confirmed the incident on social media platform X.
According to police, at its peak, around 1,100 people participated in the rally. Shortly before the event began, a court ruled that the event had to be held at a fixed location and that participants were not allowed to march into the Neukölln district as planned. According to police, there were several attempts to form a march anyway, so water cannons were used to reinforce the barriers. The gathering was dispersed by police in the evening.
Berlin’s Governing Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) strongly condemned the violence, calling it a “cowardly and brutal act.”
“Anyone who attacks police officers is attacking our constitutional state and therefore all of us,” Wegner posted on X.
In a further statement, he added: “My condolences and best wishes for a speedy recovery go out to the seriously injured officer and to all other police officers injured in the line of duty. I thank the @polizeiberlin, which ensures our safety today and every day even under difficult conditions".
According to police, tensions escalated when objects were thrown at officers from within the crowd. This prompted law enforcement to use “direct force” to restore order. Several demonstrators were also injured in the process, treated at the scene by the Berlin Fire Department, and later taken to hospitals.
Authorities reported that more than 50 people were temporarily detained. Charges include:
Wegner emphasized Berlin’s identity as a cosmopolitan city, but made it clear that violence, anti-Semitism, and abuse of democratic rights would be met with a firm legal response.
SPD Interior Senator Iris Spranger also wrote on X that the demonstration had "escalated in a frightening manner." Anyone who abuses the precious right of freedom of expression and assembly with hate speech, incitement, and violence against emergency services is placing themselves outside the basic democratic order. "This brutal violence against emergency services has nothing to do with political protest. We will take tough and consistent action against these perpetrators."
On Friday, the German Institute for International Cooperation (DIG) called for a "fundamental reassessment of the law governing assembly at so-called pro-Palestinian demonstrations." A strong radicalization can be observed in this milieu, accompanied by an increased propensity for violence, explained DIG President Volker Beck.
"Often these are purely anti-Israel events and not demonstrations for the rights and legitimate concerns of the Palestinians," Beck said. Riots like these don't just happen. The DIG had already alerted the police and the Interior Ministry in April to the international mobilization surrounding the event.
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