Rapids in Neukölln: Thunberg criticizes Germany according to demo

Rapids in Neukölln: Thunberg criticizes Germany according to demo

In a tranquil Berlin night, there were violent riots in Neukölln, which brought police forces onto the scene. On Monday evening, the first anniversary of the terrible Hamas massacre, around 400 people gathered in Kreuzberg for a peaceful demonstration under the motto "Solidarity with Palestine". Among the participants was also the Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, who vehemently criticized German politics in a video.

The Berlin police reported that there were preliminary arrests in the course of the later unrest. A total of four people were arrested, while 84 people were checked. At the same time, around 50 demonstrators became active in the night by erecting barricades and lighting tires. Emergency services were attacked with pyrotechnics and stones, which kept the Situation tense until the police could finally control them.

Criticism of Germany by Greta Thunberg

Greta Thunberg, who spoke at the rally, sharply denounced the behavior of the German government. "The German state is complicit in this genocide," she explained, referring to the support of Germany for Israel in its military actions. Her emotional message, in which she says: "I literally lack the words", shows the despair about the violence and the treatment of peaceful demonstrators.

The demonstration was shaped by speech choirs, the demands for freedom of expression and against what they described as "mass murder", expressed loudly. Posters and calls such as "Israel is a terrorist" and "From the River To The Sea, Palestine Will BE Free" increase the loud solidarity of the participants, even if the latter is legally problematic because it can be classified as extremist.

The violent clashes that took place in the early morning were reports on burning barricades and exploding fireworks that enveloped the air in Neukölln. This chaos is directly related to the previous demonstration, even if the police could not clearly confirm this.

The demonstrators, many with Palestinian towels and flags, wanted to express their displeasure with the geopolitical tensions and the persistent conflicts. In addition, there was an incident at an initially peaceful meeting in Stuttgart, where a person was arrested for masking, while a parallel pro-Israeli rally was calm.

The aggressive atmosphere has triggered a broad discussion about the freedom of expression in Germany, especially when it comes to sensitive issues as the Middle East conflict. The course of the events and the subsequent analysis could play an important role in the further discourse above the right to demonstrate and political responsibility. The developments in Berlin and Stuttgart show the span of emotions and views that exist in German society on this topic.

dpa/jr/shem