Gaza War: Over 50,000 people take to the streets in Berlin

Tens of thousands of people in Berlin protested against Israeli warfare in the Gaza Strip. In the afternoon, the police estimate about 50,000 participants from the Red City Hall to a rally on the Großer Star in the Tiergarten. In Düsseldorf, too, several thousand people took to the streets to draw attention to the situation of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

According to the police, everything went peaceful in these two demonstrations-unlike a smaller Gaza demo with around 1200 people in Berlin-Kreuzberg. According to the police, it was dissolved for crimes. The police at times stated some participants who did not withdraw. The police in social networks added a medical emergency. According to her own statements, it has around 1,800 civil servants in the entire Berlin city area.

An alliance of around 50 groups had called on the big demonstration in downtown Berlin, including Propalestinian groups, Medico International, Amnesty International and the party DIE LINKE. Among other things, an immediate stop of German arms exports to Israel, access to humanitarian aid to Gaza and EU sanctions against Israel was required.

In Berlin-Mitte, the left-wing federal chairwoman Ines Schwerdtner also gave a short speech. She spoke of a genocide in Gaza and a complicity from the federal government. “Chancellor and minister talk, but they do not act. They speak of ‘state races’ while hospitals are put in rubble and ash. They are silent about the genocide – and make themselves complicit.”

Schwerdtner emphasized that the criticism was directed against the Israeli government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “But our solidarity applies to people-in Palestine like in Israel, who face the extremely right-wing government,” said the left-wing chair. She called for “the release of the hostages and all political prisoners”.

The Israeli government strictly rejects the allegation of genocide. The Hamas terrorist attack was triggered on October 7, 2023, in which around 1200 people were killed and more than 250 hostages were dragged into the Gaza strips. The Israeli government reacted with large -scale bombing and a soil offensive. Thousands of people were killed.

International organizations and the United Nations have explained a famine for parts of the Gaza Strip and repeatedly blamed Israel’s abrasuration of the area for the lack of food. Israel’s government, on the other hand, says that there is enough food to be brought into the Gaza Strip and accuses the Hamas of taking humanitarian aid.

At the large demonstration in Berlin-Mitte, speech choirs “Free, Free Palestine”, “Viva Palestina” and “High the International Solidarity” was chant. On posters, demands such as “Gaza – stops the massacre”, “never again for everyone” and “Freedom for Palestine”. Many wore red flags and Palestinian flags. From a stage, an organizer warned the participants not to show any signs of prohibited organizations and not to scan sayings that would result in an intervention by the police.

The Jewish musician Michael Barenboim, one of the initiators of the demonstration, also accused the allegation of genocide. “‘All Eyes on Gaza’ aims to make the protest against the genocide in Gaza visible on the street,” Barenboim told the broadcaster RBB. “I don’t think so is a drastic description, because this is the term that almost all human rights organizations use almost all experts.”

The rally on the big star in the zoo should run into the evening. Barenboim is supposed to appear there, as is the hip -hoper Kiz and Pashanim. 50,000 people also had the largest Gaza demonstration in Berlin to date. The organizers had the expectation that the number would be exceeded.