The Police in Berlin have banned two pro-Palestinian rallies planned in the German capital for Wednesday, one at the Brandenburg Gate and one in the district of Neukölln, citing “a threat to public safety and order.”
Justifying the decision on Tuesday evening, the police pointed to “the current situation in the Middle East, criminal acts at comparable assemblies in the past, as well as the events in Berlin last weekend.”
On Saturday, members of the Palestinian prisoner solidarity network “Samidoun” had publicly celebrated the deadly terrorist attacks on Israel by distributing sweets in Neukölln.
It’s not the first time that Berlin police have prohibited pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Earlier this year, a planned march to mark the expulsion of Palestinians from Israel was banned due to concerns about antisemitic slogans and the glorification of violence.
Berlin’s Governing Mayor, Kai Wegner, had spoken out in favour of a ban on pro-Palestinian demonstrations on Tuesday, even before the police announcement, saying: “There is no place for antisemitism and Israel-hatred in Berlin.”
