Monday 16, October
Despite ban, 1,000 Berliners gather for pro-Palestine rally
Last weekend saw protests around the world as 1.1 million people in Gaza were told to evacuate ahead of a likely ground invasion. In Berlin, protests were officially forbidden, but that did not stop around 1,000 people from gathering in Potsdamer Platz on Sunday afternoon – and it looks like things got quite ugly.
Police were on site to break up demonstrations, using pepper spray and positioning a water cannon on site. Some videos show the police beating protesters. According to a police spokesperson, they initially tried only to remove the “ringleaders”, but faced resistance with objects being thrown from the crowd and one officer reportedly kicked in the stomach. About 153 participants were arrested – and the operation was finally over by about 20:00 on Sunday evening.
Berlin has also extended its ban of Palestinian symbols from demos to schoolyards, where it will now be prohibited to use slogans like “free Palestine”, to display the Palestinian flag or to wear the keffiyeh scarf, a symbol of Palestinian solidarity.
