"Do not tolerate agitation"

Berlin: “Palestine Congress” broken up by police

The Berlin police broke up a controversial "Palestine Congress" on Friday.

(Bild: AFP)

The Berlin police broke up the controversial "Palestine Congress" in Berlin on Friday around two hours after it began. This was announced by an officer to the up to 250 congress participants in the early evening and asked them to leave the hall. The officials had already temporarily interrupted the event beforehand. The reason for this was a speech broadcast on video by a man who is banned from political activity in Germany.

When the man spoke to the up to 250 congress participants, the police intervened with several officers, cut off the transmission and temporarily switched off the power. The participants of the meeting reacted to this and to the official dissolution of the meeting with loud expressions of discontent.

Protests against the congress in the run-up
Various pro-Palestinian groups and initiatives have invited participants to the three-day international meeting under the motto "We denounce". Among them are mainly those which, according to the security authorities and Berlin's internal administration, belong to the anti-Israel "boycott spectrum".

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The congress, the exact location of which was kept secret by the organizers for a long time and only announced on Friday, sparked protests. A non-partisan "Alliance against Anti-Semitic Terror" declared that glorification of terror and calls for the destruction of Israel were to be expected. The alliance includes politicians and the Central Council of Jews, which warned a few days ago of a "showcase of anti-Zionism".

"Do not tolerate hatred and incitement against Jews"
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) expects the authorities to keep a watchful eye: "Anyone who spreads Islamist propaganda and hatred against Jews must know that they will be prosecuted quickly and consistently," she told the German Press Agency.

We do not tolerate anti-Semitism, hatred and incitement against Jews in Berlin. That is why the Berlin police will take consistent action.

Berlins Bürgermeister Kai Wegner

Bild: AFP

Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) called it "intolerable" that such a congress was taking place in the capital. "We do not tolerate anti-Semitism, hatred and incitement against Jews in Berlin. That is why the Berlin police will take consistent action if anti-Semitic statements or criminal acts are made at this meeting," he announced.

Large-scale operation for the police
The Berlin police had prepared for a major operation lasting several days. According to a spokeswoman, around 900 officers were planned for Friday and the same number for Saturday. For Sunday, the police are initially planning for around 700 police officers. Support came from North Rhine-Westphalia.

A video on Twitter shows the assembly being broken up:

The Berlin police deemed the congress to be a public assembly and, similar to demonstrations, issued so-called conditions, i.e. bans. Accordingly, the burning of flags, calls for violence against Israel and symbols of terrorist organizations were prohibited. The police also wanted interpreters to be present at the congress and limited the number of participants to 250. They also ensured free media access after the organizer had initially only wanted to allow selected media representatives to attend.

Mood already heated up in the afternoon
The event got off to a slow start in the afternoon. Palestinian flags were waved in the crowd in front of the building and the atmosphere was heated. The organizers had only announced the venue in the morning at a press conference in the Wedding district and on the congress website. In the announcement for the congress and in the press conference, they accused Israel of "apartheid", "colonialism" and "genocide" (genocide) in the Gaza Strip, among other things. Germany was "partly to blame" for supplying weapons to Israel.

Before the start of the Palestine Congress 2024, participants tried to prevent journalists from filming and photographing by holding up kufiyas and scarves.

(Bild: APA/dpa/Sebastian Gollnow)

(Bild: APA/dpa/Sebastian Gollnow)

The unprecedented massacre with more than 1,200 dead, which terrorists from the Islamist Hamas and other groups carried out in Israel on October 7 last year, was not mentioned at all in the appeal and was only mentioned at the press conference following repeated requests from journalists. Israel responded to the attack with a large-scale assault on the Gaza Strip. The war has now been going on for half a year and thousands of civilians have died in the process.

There was a demonstration against the congress in front of the press conference venue. The Berlin CDU parliamentary group wanted to drive through the city all day with a video van to mobilize against anti-Semitism. "It is important to show our colors", said CDU parliamentary group leader Dirk Stettner. Berlin SPD interior politician Martin Matz expressed fears that the congress could lead to criminal incitement to violence.