Hamburg: Latest News and Updates - Anti-Israeli protest near the university ongoing through June.
A group of Palestinians have been protesting outside the University of Hamburg for almost a month, and it looks like they'll be there for a while longer. The police have confirmed that the vigil will continue until at least June 30th.
It's unclear exactly how many people are participating in the protests, as the numbers fluctuate. A police spokesperson told the German Press Agency that there are usually between ten and twenty people there, but sometimes it drops to just a few.
The protesters have set up a protest camp with multiple tents. The motto of the protest is "Hands off Rafah." Two groups, "Students for Palestine HH" and "Thawra," have been encouraging people to join the camp on Instagram.
So far, the protests have been relatively peaceful. There have been a few minor incidents involving assault, insult, and property damage, but overall, the police spokesperson said there hasn't been any highly aggressive behavior.
The camp is being closely monitored by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. According to Interior Senator Andy Grote (SPD), it's one of the most intensely monitored locations in Germany. He noted at the presentation of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution report for 2023 that even the letters written on protest signs are analyzed. Some signs have already been removed.
Similar protests have been taking place at universities in the United States for several weeks, showing solidarity with the Palestinians. The recent events in Gaza have been a major source of international criticism for Israel.
The events in Gaza began on October 7th when over 1200 people were killed in a massacre by Hamas and other terrorist groups. In response, Israel launched a massive air raid and ground offensive. The high civilian casualties and the dire humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip have prompted widespread condemnation from the international community.
UPDATED: Fixed a typo in the first sentence.
Read also:
- The German Press Agency reported on the ongoing anti-Israeli demonstrations outside a university in Hamburg, which have been ongoing since late May.
- The Israeli ambassador to Germany has called for the protection of the constitution and urged authorities to put an end to the vigils and demonstrations in the Palestinian territories at German universities.
- The Israeli embassy in Berlin issued a statement condemning the protests, stating that they are an attempt to demonize Israel and promote hatred against Jewish people.
- The German government has expressed concern over the growing tensions between Palestinians and Israeli supporters on German campuses, and has called for dialogue and understanding to be promoted instead of conflict.
