Police: Islamists deceived at Palestine demo
At the controversial Palestine demonstration in Essen last Friday, Islamists apparently deliberately circumvented the authorities' requirements - for example by using slightly modified flags and symbols that were then no longer covered by the prohibition orders. "Islamists took deception to the extreme and apparently deliberately used very similar symbols of the Islamic State and the Taliban to promote their unworldly goals," explained Andreas Stüve, Essen's police chief, on Tuesday.
"In doing so, they have fully exploited the limits set for them and are making it extremely difficult for law enforcement officers," said the police chief. The authorities were evaluating all videos and photos of the demonstration with great effort and with the support of interpreters and Islamic scholars, said a spokesman for the Essen police. This will certainly take some time. By midday on Tuesday, however, no criminally relevant - i.e. banned - flags or symbols had been discovered.
This also applies to a banner for the caliphate state that was displayed at the demonstration. The outstretched index finger, which was shown in Essen and is known in the scene as a symbol of the Islamic state, was also not banned, said the spokesperson. As far as he knew, most of the demonstrators were not from Essen.
Criminal proceedings are underway against the rally leader for the way in which he had announced the conditions for the demonstration. He could not comment on the specific case due to the ongoing investigation, said the spokesperson. In general, it happens that restrictive half-sentences such as "It must not be claimed that...." are only whispered and then the forbidden sentences are shouted, so that they still seem like a slogan.
Despite the authorities' rigorous investigation, conflicts arose between law enforcement and demonstrators due to the Islamists' use of slightly modified flags and symbols. These demonstrations served as a platform for promoting radical ideologies, utilizing symbols associated with the Islamic State and Taliban.
Source: www.dpa.com
