Palestine solidarity rallies in Berlin banned

GENEVA (AA) – The Berlin police have banned rallies in support of Palestine, in order to prevent “incitement of anti-Semitic exclamations” and “glorification of violence”.

In Berlin, two solidarity rallies with Palestinians were planned for Wednesday under the banners “Solidarity with All Political Prisoners on Palestinian Prisoners Day” and “Demo in Solidarity with Palestine.”

However, Berlin police issued a statement early this morning prohibiting rallies in the city, citing past experiences of popular incitement to “anti-Semitic exclamations, glorification of violence, as well as violence.”

Following the announcement of the ban, the organizer of the two Palestinian solidarity rallies accused the Berlin police of racism, stating that further steps would be announced later.

The rallies are banned “on racist grounds,” the organizer ‘Initiative Palestine’ said in a statement posted on its website.

“However, we will not be silenced. We will inform about upcoming steps to bring Palestine (issue) to the streets of Berlin,” the Initiative Palestine added.

Meanwhile, police prohibited a third demonstration outside a school in Berlin’s Neukolln district under the banner “Against violence in schools.”

Following a physical altercation between a student and a teacher at the school over the issue, parents’ representatives called for the protest demonstration.

According to police, a 14-year-old student allegedly “started the fight because he showed up to school wearing a Palestine flag as a cape and a Palestinian scarf around his head.”

In a dramatic escalation of military attacks on Gaza, Israeli forces have launched a sustained and forceful military campaign against the Gaza Strip.

The military attack began after Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood in retaliation for the repeated storming of the sacred Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and Israeli settlers’ growing violence against Palestinians in recent months.

In response to Hamas’ actions, the Israeli military launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets within the Gaza Strip, vowing to reduce what remains of the world’s “largest open air prison” to rubble.

Israel has cut water and electricity supplies to Gaza, further worsening the living conditions in an area that has reeled under a crippling siege since 2007.