Around 50,000 people marched through Berlin on Saturday, showing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
Protesters chanted “free, free Palestine” and called for an immediate end to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Authorities deployed 1,800 police officers to monitor the downtown demonstration from Alexanderplatz to the Victory Column.
Demonstrators urged Germany to stop sending arms to Israel and pushed for EU sanctions against Israel’s military.
Fifty organisations, including Amnesty International and Die Linke, coordinated the pro-Palestinian rally, though police broke up some protests for anti-Israel slogans.
Counter-Demonstrations and Clashes
About 100 people rallied in support of Israel, denouncing antisemitism, German broadcaster RBB reported.
Scuffles erupted when pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian groups encountered each other, though police intervened to separate them.
Protesters in Kreuzberg clashed with authorities after chanting anti-Israel messages, highlighting tensions within Berlin’s demonstrations.
European Protests and Conflict Overview
Thousands protested in Düsseldorf under the banner “we will not forget Gaza — freedom for Palestine.”
In Geneva, 6,000 people rallied to demand an end to the war in Gaza, Swiss broadcaster SRF reported.
The war began after Hamas attacked southern Israel on 7 October 2023, killing nearly 1,200 civilians and kidnapping 251.
Israel’s offensive over 23 months killed more than 65,100 people in Gaza, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Germany, a major supplier of military equipment to Israel, previously blocked EU criticism but now shows some scepticism.
Government officials expressed concern over Gaza’s civilian suffering and warned about the humanitarian crisis as the conflict continues.
