Riots at Palestine demo: 25-year-old man on trial
One month after riots at a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Berlin-Neukölln, the first trial will take place on Wednesday (12.30 pm) at the Tiergarten district court. The accused is a 25-year-old man. The Italian is alleged to have been part of a group of demonstrators on October 18 who chanted anti-Semitic and anti-Israel slogans and threw stones and bottles at police officers. The charges include aggravated breach of the peace, attempted grievous bodily harm and assault on law enforcement officers. The public prosecutor's office has requested a decision in so-called accelerated proceedings.
Following the terrorist attack by Islamist Hamas on Israel on October 7, there have been daily rallies and demonstrations in Berlin, particularly by the pro-Palestinian community. Violence has also occurred time and again.
According to a spokeswoman, the Berlin public prosecutor's office has 27 cases pending in connection with the intensified Middle East conflict (as of November 14). More than half (15) are against unknown perpetrators. The other cases are still with the police, where they are being processed by the State Security Department, which is responsible for politically motivated crimes. According to the police, 1254 cases have been registered there so far (as of November 13). These include 350 acts of violence, including acts of resistance against police officers at demonstrations, and 408 cases of damage to property, such as painted or spray-painted slogans.
In prosecuting the crimes, the public prosecutor's office has stated that it will increasingly examine the possibility of accelerated proceedings. The authority had created the structures for this primarily in connection with the actions of climate demonstrators.
The ongoing conflicts and intensified tensions between Israel and Palestine have led to an increase in extremist sentiments among demonstrators, as seen in the repeated instances of violent clashes. The Berlin public prosecutor's office is currently handling 27 cases related to these conflicts, with 15 against unidentified individuals, and is considering the use of accelerated proceedings to speed up the process.
Source: www.dpa.com
