Germany stifling freedom of speech and assembly of people who want to demonstrate in support of Palestine
11/13/2023 / By Arsenio Toledo
The government of Germany is cracking down heavily on the free speech of its residents who want to demonstrate in support of Palestinian civilians being indiscriminately bombed by Israelis.
On Saturday, Nov. 4, between 8,000 to 10,000 people marched in the German capital of Berlin to call for a humanitarian ceasefire in the conflict in Gaza.
Before the march could even happen, German police officers led an elderly German woman away to a police van to be interrogated because she was carrying a banner which said that she was ashamed to be German and that there was a genocide taking place in Gaza. (Related: THOU SHALT NOT CRITICIZE ISRAEL: Social media giants now CENSORING CONTENT that supports people of Gaza and opposes indiscriminate bombings by Israel.)
Later, as the rally got underway, about 1,000 police officers in riot gear were deployed to prevent protesters and speakers from making antisemitic speeches and chants and preventing demonstrators from hoisting anti-Israeli signages.
Before the outbreak of hostilities in Gaza, most pro-Palestinian demonstrations in Berlin were already banned because local authorities feared an outburst of violence or antisemitism. Due to criticism of this policy as a potential breach on the democratic right to freedom of speech and assembly, more and more pro-Palestinian protests are being permitted.
“I am really starting to question whether we actually have freedom of speech in Germany,” said Monika Kalinowska, who was pulled out of the crowd by German police for carrying a sign that read “Israel is a terrorist state.” Her sign was later confiscated.
European countries cracking down on demonstrations in support of Palestine
Germany is just one of several European nations, including France and the United Kingdom, where measures have been put in place to silence pro-Palestinian voices.
In France, rallies in support of Palestinians and even vigils to mourn the Gazans killed by Israeli airstrikes have been banned. French authorities have even gone so far as to fine people for wearing a keffiyeh, a traditional Palestinian scarf. But marches in solidarity with Israel are permitted to proceed in Paris unmolested.
“I’m scared for my children, so I always take them to school and bring them back, even though they are teenagers,” said a French-Palestinian mother of two living in Paris who is worried that French police might one day come to her house and try to deport her.
“I worry that things could go from bad to worse,” she added, noting that her teenage son has already been beaten and accused of being a “terrorism apologist” at school for speaking about the Palestinian death toll and the Israeli blockade of Gaza.
The situation in Europe is getting so much worse for Palestinians and supporters of Palestine that Amnesty International had to release a statement on Oct. 20 reminding states that they have “a legal obligation to ensure that people are able to peacefully express their grief, concerns and their solidarity.”
Watch this clip of Auschwitz survivor Hajo Meyer comparing Israel to the Nazis.
This video is from the PureTrauma357 channel on Brighteon.com.
More related stories:
Republicans call for TikTok ban due to pro-Palestine content surpassing views of pro-Israel posts.
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