50,000 people in Berlin: Peaceful protest against the Gaza war!

50,000 people in Berlin: Peaceful protest against the Gaza war!

In Berlin people are currently taking to the streets loudly for the rights of the Palestinians! Tens of thousands of people gathered last Saturday to demonstrate against Israel's warfare in the Gaza Strip. The Berlin police estimate the number of participants at around 50,000 who marched from the Red City Hall to the Großer Stern in the Tiergarten to make their voices heard. In Düsseldorf, too, several thousand participants set an example and drew attention to the depressing situation in the Gaza Strip. The large protests in both cities were peaceful; only a smaller demonstration in Berlin-Kreuzberg with around 1,200 people was broken up due to criminal offenses, which also led to a medical emergency.

A large number of groups, around 50 in total, including Amnesty International and the Left party, had called for a large demonstration. Ines Schwerdtner, the federal chairwoman of the Left, gave a powerful speech and spoke of a genocide in Gaza, for which she also sees the federal government's complicity. This is supported by a UN commission that accuses Israel of genocide in the Gaza Strip. This commission in particular considers four out of five elements of the UN Convention on Genocide to be fulfilled when it comes to killing measures, the creation of conditions unworthy of life and attacks on the Palestinian population. But the Israeli government rejects these accusations as a "slanderous tirade" and emphasizes that it is only fighting Hamas.

Support for the Palestinian population

At the large demonstration in Berlin, clear demands were made: an immediate stop to German arms exports to Israel and access for humanitarian aid to Gaza are called for. EU sanctions against Israel are also on the demonstrators' wish list. Slogans such as “Free, free Palestine” and “Hall international solidarity” echoed through the streets. Participants waved red flags and Palestinian flags, with organizers pointing to a ban on certain symbols. Michael Barenboim, a Jewish musician and co-initiator of the demonstration, also described the situation in Gaza as genocide.

Israel's bombings and ground offensive, which began after Hamas' devastating terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, have already caused tens of thousands of deaths. According to Hamas authorities, over 64,000 people have died in the Gaza Strip. The international community and human rights organizations such as Amnesty International agree that a rethink is urgently needed. Julia Duchrow, Secretary General of Amnesty International in Germany, has urgently highlighted the catastrophic humanitarian situation and called on the international community to impose a comprehensive arms embargo against Israel.

The responsibility of the international community

The Federal Government has not yet endorsed the UN Commission's ruling, but is concerned about the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. Some German experts even bring up the word “genocide” when discussing the dynamics of this conflict. Amnesty International is calling not only for an end to the genocide in Gaza, but also for genocide and other crimes to be punished in accordance with international law. Finally, the dangers in the region continue to affect the civilian hostages held by Hamas in Israel. The ongoing conflicts and the difficult geopolitical situation ultimately raise the question of how the international community will react and whether it will finally take active action.