Violent Pro-Palestinian demonstration in Berlin leads to 50+ arrests

On Saturday, thousands of people protested against Israel and the army's actions in the Gaza Strip in central Berlin. They gathered in front of the Reichstag building and marched through the government district to Potsdamer Platz. Police said at least 10,000 people participated. By the evening, police reported more than 50 arrests and several injuries. Police officers were also attacked.

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Many demonstrators wore Palestinian scarves and waved Palestinian flags, and many people expressed their support for the Palestinian people through chants and signs. 

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The protest took place under the slogan "United 4 Gaza." Berlin police used a helicopter, among other things, to survey the events. Posters demanded an end to arms deliveries to Israel and an immediate halt to the "genocide" and attacks in the Gaza Strip. Other people held blood-red peace signs in their hands.

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According to police reports in the evening, several crimes were committed during and towards the end of the demonstration, including propaganda offenses and violent crimes, including attacks on police officers. During the more than 50 arrests, some of them required the use of force, resulting in several injured people being taken to hospitals. Police said they deployed 1,300 officers.

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The war in the Gaza Strip was triggered by the unprecedented large-scale attack by the radical Islamist Hamas against Israel on October 7, 2023. According to Israeli sources, approximately 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage in the Gaza Strip. Following the Hamas attack, Israel launched a massive military operation in the Gaza Strip.

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The supply situation in the Palestinian territory is catastrophic. According to Hamas figures, which cannot be independently verified, almost 56,000 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the war began.

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Tens of thousands also took to the streets in London on Saturday in support of the Palestinians. They criticized Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip as well as the country's attacks on Iran. According to organizers, around 20,000 people also gathered in front of Parliament in Bern, Switzerland, and called for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.