Suspended sentence after riots at pro-Palestine demonstration
One month after rioting at a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Berlin-Neukölln, a 25-year-old man has been given a suspended eight-month prison sentence. On Wednesday, the Tiergarten District Court found the Italian guilty of aggravated breach of the peace, attempted dangerous bodily harm and assault on law enforcement officers. Among other things, the accused had thrown a small cobblestone from a group and had acted with considerable criminal energy, the judge said.
The decision in the first trial after the riots on October 18 was made in a so-called accelerated trial. The public prosecutor's office had applied for a ten-month suspended prison sentence, also for general preventative reasons, and also demanded the payment of a fine of 1,000 euros to the Jewish Forum for Democracy and against Anti-Semitism. The defense lawyer did not make a specific request.
On the evening of October 18, the Italian was part of a group of demonstrators who, according to the indictment, chanted anti-Semitic and anti-Israel slogans and threw stones and bottles at police officers. Through his defense lawyer, the accused had admitted to throwing a small cobblestone into the back of a police officer.
The accused, who has no criminal record and stated that he is a tattoo artist, was in custody until the trial. According to the accused, he is suffering from what is happening in the Middle East conflict. He fights for peace and "does not shoot rockets". He did not explain why the missile was thrown. The 25-year-old had shown no remorse, according to the public prosecutor.
Following the terrorist attack by Islamist Hamas on Israel on October 7, there have been daily rallies and demonstrations in Berlin, especially by the pro-Palestinian community. Violence has also occurred time and again.
During the trial, a police officer described how the accused picked up a small cobblestone from a group of 40 to 50 people, most of whom were dressed in black, and threw it in the direction of a uniformed officer. The atmosphere was "aggressive and violent". Stones, bottles and firecrackers were thrown. After the throw, the accused "let himself be celebrated" by several demonstrators. He resisted arrest.
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. So far, 1254 cases have been registered there (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.
According to the public prosecutor's office, it intends to examine the possibility of accelerated proceedings in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The authority had created the structures for this primarily in connection with the actions of climate demonstrators.
Berlin's Senator for Justice Felor Badenberg (non-party) told dpa: "I expressly welcome the fact that these proceedings were brought to a conclusion so quickly. The rule of law has shown that it can react effectively. Accelerated proceedings are a building block for this."
The suspended sentence highlights the seriousness of processes related to crime and conflicts, as the 25-year-old was charged with aggravated breach of peace, attempted dangerous bodily harm, and assault on law enforcement officers, due to his actions during the pro-Palestine demonstration. The escalation of such events can sometimes lead to extremist behavior, with anti-Semitic and anti-Israel slogans being chanted during the demonstration.
Source: www.dpa.com
