Senator: 865 demonstrations nationwide on Middle East conflict
Since the terrorist attack by Islamist Hamas on Israel and the counter-attack, the German police authorities have registered 865 demonstrations on the subject. Berlin's Senator of the Interior Iris Spranger (SPD) said this on Monday in the Interior Committee of the House of Representatives. In addition, 98 demonstrations were banned nationwide. The bans were mostly imposed due to fears of anti-Israeli riots or anti-Semitism by Palestinian participants.
Spranger rejected claims that the Berlin police were banning too many Palestinian demonstrations: "Complete nonsense, that's not the case." There had been 116 demonstrations in the capital since October 7, 22 of which had been banned. There are already 18 registrations for further demonstrations. According to Spranger, 119 police officers were injured during the demonstrations in Berlin. In other parts of Germany, only six police officers were injured.
Spranger emphasized that many people living in Berlin in particular were personally affected by the war. This applies to both Jews and people of Palestinian origin. "But anti-Semitism has no place on the streets here," she emphasized.
According to Spranger, a large number of Israeli and Jewish properties continue to be protected in Berlin. Spranger cited the number of 159 facilities and 650 security guards who are "on site around the clock to protect these Jewish facilities". There are still "no findings on specific threats, but the abstract danger remains high".
The increase in demonstrations across Germany against the Middle East conflict has also led to concerns about extremism, with several protests being banned due to fears of anti-Israeli riots or anti-Semitic sentiments. These conflicts and associated tensions have escalated to the point where they sparked discussions about the possibility of future extremist-related conflicts or even wars.
Source: www.dpa.com
