Anti-Semitic slogans, stones thrown at police officers, injured officials, harassed journalists. After the pro-Palestine demonstrations, the capital discusses: Why is this hatred allowed on our streets at all? Why is it always allowed to come to this?
By Stefan Peter and Johannes Malinowski
Hundreds of people marched through Kreuzberg and Neukölln during the demonstrations against Israel. On Friday, participants threw stones and firecrackers. On Saturday, police officers were thrown at with posters and wooden poles. BZ reporter Peter Wilke was also physically attacked and insulted. At Hermannplatz, young men shouted statements like “Drecksjude”. The police are now evaluating videos to identify the perpetrators.
“The open hatred of Jews on our streets is an attack on liberal and cosmopolitan Berlin,” said CDU faction leader Kai Wegner (49) to the BZ. “This demonstration of shame is completely unacceptable.”
What can the police do? “There are opportunities to prevent anti-Semitic riots at meetings,” says anti-Semitism officer Prof. Dr. Samuel Salzborn (44). Gatherings could be banned or broken up when inciting hatred or attacking human dignity.
“The core of such gatherings is anti-Semitism, nothing else,” emphasizes Salzborn. It is important “to strengthen Muslims who are clearly opposed to anti-Semitism – but also to demand a position against Islamism and anti-Semitism”.
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After all: The annual anti-Semitic demonstration on the so-called Al-Quds Day on Friday is cancelled. The organizers had canceled the march – and had apparently forestalled a ban.
“The freedom to demonstrate is rightly protected to a particularly high degree,” says SPD interior expert Tom Schreiber (43). “Nevertheless, such gatherings are not a legal vacuum. In this way, conditions can be imposed.” Schreiber emphasizes: “The statements that we experienced at the weekend are shameful and, above all, punishable. Here the perpetrators must be identified and clear judgments must be made.”
Discussion on Freedom of Assembly Act
The Freedom of Assembly Act, which has been in effect in Berlin since February 2021, is now also being discussed. For the police it was reason to “remove” two journalists from the demo. According to the law, the chairman of the meeting may “expel from the meeting persons who seriously disturb the order of the meeting”.
Is freedom of the press in jeopardy?
► “Unfortunately, you saw very clearly why we had previously pointed out the glaring gaps in the law,” he said Stephan Kelm (56), deputy head of the police union. “There are numerous aspects that have not been regulated at all, many unclear legal terms and vague formulations.”
► Legal expert Björn Jotzo (FDP, 47) confirms that the law passed by Red-Green-Red “explicitly permits the exclusion of press representatives”. Jotzo emphasizes: “In view of the fundamental legal guarantee of freedom of the press in the present case, this is completely inappropriate.”
► Niklas Schrader (40, left) defends the law: “From my point of view it is clear that an organizer cannot simply undermine freedom of the press and have people removed from the meeting at their discretion. In any case, critical reporting cannot be such a disruption.”
Now that should be checked as well. “The police have to give an assessment,” said Interior Senator Iris Spranger (60, SPD) to the BZ: “I spoke to Police President Slowik.”
