- Pro-Palestinian demonstration site will continue until September 14th.
The Demonstration Site at Hamburg's Dammtor railway station is set to persist until at least mid-September. The organizer recently petitioned for an expansion of the gathering at Theodor-Heuss-Platz for an additional two weeks, extending the event until September 14. The assembly authority, after a thorough examination, granted this extension.
The imposed stipulations and regulations still apply. For instance, gatherings with at least 100 attendees may only take place at the adjacent Moorweide, and setting up tents there is prohibited.
The Protest titled "Hands off Rafah" has persisted since May 6. The protest aims to disarm Israel and accuses Israel of expulsion, occupation, and apartheid, encouraging resistance. The demonstration was called for by groups such as "Students for Palestine HH" and "Thawra" ("Revolution").
The motivation behind the protest originates from the unprecedented massacre of over 1,200 people by Hamas and other terrorist groups on October 7, which Israel retaliated against with intense airstrikes and a ground offensive. The high civilian casualties and catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip have prompted international criticism towards Israel.
As per Hamburg's domestic intelligence agency, left-wing extremists are exploiting the protest for their purposes. The protest has been endorsed by several German and Turkish left-wing extremist groups, including the Turkish-left extremist Young Struggle, the anti-imperialist, violence-oriented Red Aid Hamburg, and subgroups of the Red Aid. The protest also serves as a platform for other extremist groups, such as the Red Help or the Communist Organization.
Demands for a Ban
There have been calls to dismantle the protest for some time, such as from the CDU and FDP. The Israelitic Temple Association of Hamburg has also advocated for an immediate ban. It's perplexing how such a protest can exist near a site used by the Nazis for the deportation of Jews, explained the association, which is considered the mother congregation of worldwide Reform Judaism.
The police stated that the assembly authority can only impose a ban if, for example, an individual's life or limb, or valuable property, is under imminent threat. The right to assembly, guaranteed in Article 8 of the Basic Law, which serves as a cornerstone of democracy as per highest court rulings, must be respected.
The group organizing the "Hands off Rafah" protest has expressed interest in expanding their demonstration to Theodor-Heuss-Platz, seeking an extension until September 14. This proposed expansion involves the Palestinian territories, as the protest aims to disarm Israel and criticize its policies towards Palestinians, including expulsion, occupation, and apartheid.
Despite calls for a ban from political parties and organizations, the protest has been permitted to continue, given that no imminent threat to life, limb, or property has been identified by the assembly authority, as stipulated by the right to assembly in Article 8 of the Basic Law.
