Thousands demand "Never again is now" in Berlin
At a demonstration against anti-Semitism in Berlin, the head of the Central Council of Jews is appalled by the current situation for Jews in Germany. There is still a chance to turn the tide - but mistakes have to be acknowledged.
In Berlin, several thousand people demonstrated against anti-Semitism, hatred and racism. Under the slogan "Never again is now", they marched in partly pouring rain from the Großer Stern in Tiergarten to the Brandenburg Gate, where a rally was held. The police spoke of around 3200 participants, the private organizers assumed 10,000.
"Sometimes I don't recognize this country. Something has gone off the rails," said the President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster. "There is still an opportunity to repair this, but to do so we must also admit what has gone wrong in recent years, what we have been unable or unwilling to see."
The rally was supported by Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, among others. Among those in the front row of the demonstration were Berlin's governing mayor Kai Wegner, pop singer Roland Kaiser, Federal Minister of Labor Hubertus Heil and publicist Michel Friedman.
"There are many of us, but too many decent people are too quiet," said SPD politician Heil. "We don't need a decent, silent majority. We need a clearly loud majority that stands up now and not later." There must be an end to anti-Semitism. "We have to get serious about this", Heil said.
Further protest calls for a stop to arms deliveries to Israel
As patron of the event, Bundestag President Bärbel Bas said: "Jews are afraid and they feel left alone. It is not only hatred that creates this feeling, but also silence and indifference." That is why "a powerful, visible and loud sign" is important. The pop singer Kaiser also spoke of the hope "that this day will send out a signal".
At a second demonstration in the capital, numerous people also protested under the slogan "Solidarity with Palestine - No weapons for genocide". The police spoke of around 2,500 participants. Against the backdrop of the Middle East conflict, the demonstrators demanded, among other things, a stop to arms deliveries to Israel. Arms and intelligence cooperation with the country should also be ended.
In addition to flags with the Palestinian colors, the combination of letters BDS could also be seen. BDS stands for "Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions". The campaign calls for a boycott of the state of Israel and Israeli products because of its actions against Palestinians. The chanted slogans included phrases such as "Germany finances, Israel bombs", "Viva, Viva Palestine" and "German media lie. Don't let yourselves be deceived.".
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- The protests against anti-Semitism in Berlin were also echoed by demonstrations in support of Palestinians, calling for an end to arms deliveries to Israel.
- The Central Council of Jews in Germany expressed concern about the rise of antisemitism and appealed for more vocal opposition, joining the chorus of voices opposing racism and hatred towards Palestinians.
- As the protests against anti-Semitism continued, the International community and human rights organizations also denounced the ongoing violence and discrimination towards Palestinians, linking the struggles of both communities.
- In response to the demonstrations, the Israeli government expressed its disappointment, stating that their intentions were to ensure peace and stability in the Middle East, while addressing concerns about human rights violations and racism towards Palestinians.
Source: www.ntv.de
