Police clear lecture hall at FU Berlin
A group calling itself "Students for Free Palestine" calls for the occupation of a lecture hall at Freie Universität Berlin. A scuffle broke out with Israel supporters. Several hours after the action began, the police finally intervened.
A scuffle broke out between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli supporters during a lecture hall blockade by activists at the Free University of Berlin that lasted several hours. The Free University (FU) then called the police to the university building, according to the press office. According to the police, two people were slightly injured in the incident and complained of pain. The reason for the altercation was a difference of opinion. Several charges of assault were reportedly filed.
An alliance of FU students called "Students for Free Palestine" had called for the occupation on its Instagram channel. Pictures and videos of the action were published on the channel. They included Palestinian flags and posters with slogans such as "Stop the genocide". In an Instagram post, the alliance criticized the university management in English for its "one-sided statement on the violence in Israel/Palestine".
According to the police, the attendees had not initially stayed on site against the will of the householder. However, the situation changed during the course of the day: according to the university's press office, some of those involved had not complied with the request to leave the building. The university therefore made use of its domiciliary rights at around 4 p.m. and arranged for the police to evacuate the building. According to the police, there were around 60 people in the lecture hall at the time.
"Around 20 of the 60 people had to be escorted out by the police," said a police spokeswoman in the evening. They are being investigated for trespassing. The operation was completed at around 6 pm.
Wegner: "Disgusting action that leaves us stunned"
In response to an inquiry, Freie Universität stated that the university was not the organizer of the action, had not approved it and had not made any premises available for it. The university supports engagement in socially relevant issues and critical dialog, "as long as this engagement remains within the framework of the law". However, occupations are not seen as a suitable means of communication or protest.
Berlin's Governing Mayor Kai Wegner criticized on X "a disgusting action that leaves us stunned". Federal Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger wrote: "There must be no place for hatred of Israel and Jews at German universities." Some media had reported on suspected anti-Semitic incidents. According to a police spokesperson, no anti-Semitic incidents had been reported to the police by the evening.
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Despite the university's stance against occupations, the "Students for Free Palestine" alliance staged an occupation of a lecture hall at FU Berlin, leading to clashes between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli supporters. This incident drew strong criticism from Berlin's Governing Mayor Kai Wegner, who labeled it as "disgusting," and from Federal Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger, who expressed concern over any forms of hatred towards Israel or Jews at German universities. While there were reports of suspected anti-Semitic incidents, the police in Berlin had not received any such reports by the evening. This dispute echoed broader tensions, as Hamas and Israel continued to be at odds, making the issue of antisemitism a sensitive topic in discussions surrounding the Middle East conflict.
Source: www.ntv.de
