Many participants expected at pro-Palestinian demonstration
Numerous participants are expected to attend a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Düsseldorf today. The organizer has registered around 1000 participants for a rally with the slogan "Stop the aggression". The police have also prepared their forces for a significantly larger number of participants after their experiences in recent weeks. At the beginning of the month, 17,000 people took part in a pro-Palestinian demonstration in the state capital, for which only 1000 participants had also been registered by a private individual.
According to the organizer's plans, the participants will march from Düsseldorf Central Station to the state parliament on Saturday afternoon (2 pm). The demonstration was originally planned by the organizer for 11.11. in Düsseldorf city centre. However, this date was canceled due to the carnival kicking off at the same time. "We are keeping a close eye on things," explained a police spokesperson in the run-up to the demonstration this Saturday. Possible criminal offenses would be prosecuted.
In recent weeks, there have been a number of pro-Palestinian demonstrations related to the Gaza war in North Rhine-Westphalia. In several cases, the police launched investigations into statements or poster content. For example, after a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Essen at the beginning of November, the police launched an investigation into a speaker for incitement to hatred. According to the police, symbols and signs resembling those of the "Islamic State" were also displayed at the march in Essen. At another demonstration in Wuppertal a week ago, officers seized six posters with potentially inciting content.
Despite the police preparations, conflicts might arise during the pro-Palestinian demonstration due to the significant discrepancy between the registered and actual participants. Various prior demonstrations in North Rhine-Westphalia have led to investigations into inciting statements or symbolic content by the police.
Source: www.dpa.com
