Massive Pro-Palestine Protests Erupt in Berlin despite Ban
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Despite an official ban, several thousand people gathered in Berlin on Saturday for a pro-Palestinian demonstration, voicing their opposition to Israel's atrocities in Gaza with signs and posters.
Many protesters held banners accusing Israel of "genocide" and expressed criticism of the German government's support for Israel.
The rally, organized under the title "Global South United!" commenced in the late Saturday afternoon at Oranienplatz with an estimated 3,000 participants and was set to cover a 3-kilometer route, according to police reports.
A substantial police presence, along with interpreters to address concerns of possible criminal content being disseminated in foreign languages, was deployed to oversee the demonstration.
Across Germany, police dispersed pro-Palestinian gatherings in response to the Israeli military's expansion of its ground operation in Gaza. In Berlin, over 100 people were arrested in front of the Brandenburg Gate during a pro-Palestine rally, where clashes with police turned violent.
In Hamburg, police disbanded about 70 demonstrators waving Palestinian flags and chanting "Free Palestine" for not adhering to a general order that banned unregistered pro-Palestinian rallies, issued on October 15.
Additional pro-Palestinian demonstrations in Berlin were broken up, as authorities in the city have prohibited most such gatherings, citing concerns over potential anti-Israeli or anti-Semitic slogans and banned symbols.