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More than two dozen demonstrations critical of Israel are planned for the weekend in Germany. According to the “Tagesspiegel” checkpoint, 25 events have been registered for Saturday so far, many of them in North Rhine-Westphalia, including Cologne, and three in Berlin. In many places, the occasion is the so-called “Nakba Day” by the Palestinians, which is celebrated on May 15 every year and commemorates the founding day of Israel on May 14, 1948. The Palestinians interpret this day as "misfortune" (Arabic: Nakba) - for them it stands for flight and displacement. This year it coincides with a crisis situation in Israel, where the radical Islamist Hamas has been firing rockets from Gaza at Israel for almost a week and the Israeli army has responded with counter attacks.

The current organizers should also come from the spectrum of the Palestinian terrorist organizations Hamas and PFLP as well as from the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood.

One of the three demonstrations in Berlin started at 1 p.m. on Hermannplatz and led to Neukölln Town Hall.

Protesters publicly distanced themselves from Hamas and criticized the role of Iran and Hezbollah.

The police have an officer with them who translates everything that is said from the loudspeaker truck during the demonstration.

So far there has been nothing criminally relevant.

A majority of Sunni Muslims took part in the protest.

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In the afternoon it got more and more crowded.

The police asked demonstrators to wear mouth and nose protection and to keep their distance, otherwise the demonstration would be broken up.

The demonstration in Berlin started quietly

Source: AP / Michael Sohn

A lot of people came together in Berlin

Source: REUTERS

In Hamburg, from 2 pm, instead of the 150 registered participants, 220 gathered on the Gänsemarkt for a “demonstration against the Israeli approach in the current conflict” so far peacefully.

Around 500 people gathered at a second demo on Ottenser Hauptstrasse in the Ottensen district (Altona district).

Due to a thunderstorm with downpours, the demonstrations broke up very quickly.

In Leipzig, anti-Semitic statements are said to have been made on the fringes of a pro-Israel demonstration, reports "Bild".

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In Cologne, the predominantly young participants in a demonstration at the Heumarkt, including many women, reports WELT reporter Kristian Frigelj.

Several participants shouted "Israel child murder" - they refer to the deaths of civilians in attacks on Gaza.

However, Hamas, which is operating there, accepts these dead approvingly by often firing rockets from residential areas.

Israel was compared to Hitler on a poster held up by a young woman.

Two participants climbed an equestrian monument and spread the Palestinian flag.

Tasteless banner of a protester

Source: Kristian Frigelj

A second demonstration in Berlin with around 3500 participants, entitled “Day of Political Prisoners of Palestine”, also started at Hermannplatz at 3 pm.

Behind this event is Samidoun Germany, which is close to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

The terrorist organization rejects peace with Israel and advocates acts of terrorism against the civilian population.

The demonstration was broken up by the police after a short time.

The reason was due to multiple non-compliance with the distance requirement despite being asked - as this was a danger to public safety, the demonstration had ended, the police said.

Several demonstrators reacted by throwing bottles, firecrackers also flew, and arrests were made.

Several projectiles hit other demonstrators.

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A third demonstration entitled "In memory of al-Nakba, the Palestinian expulsion" started at 4 pm at Oranienplatz in Kreuzberg.

Around 1000 participants gathered.

Here, unlike not far from Hermannplatz, the atmosphere was completely peaceful.

The "Association of Palestinian and Arab Associations and Institutions in Berlin" had already invited to a demonstration in Neukölln on Friday afternoon.

Around 800 people responded to the call, which spoke of “barbaric aggression by the occupying power”.

The rally was dominated by “Free Palestine” shouts and Palestinian flags. Several times from smaller parts of the demonstration there were calls like “Strike and destroy Tel Aviv”, “Child murderer Israel” and “Khaybar Khaybar, ya yahud, Jaish Muhammad, sa yahud” (“Jews, remember Khaybar, the army of Muhammad is returning back ”). The organizers called several times to refrain from such slogans. The police accompanied the demonstration with more than 200 emergency services.

Flags of the left-wing extremist party MLPD and the DKP youth association SDAJ were also on display.

The police established the identities of 192 people and initiated reports of administrative offenses.

Several investigative proceedings were handed over to the state security service for slogans that were anti-Israel and glorify violence.

Hundreds of people also took to the streets in Dresden on Friday.

The police counted around 400 participants.

Berlin's Senator for the Interior promises the best possible protection for the Jewish community

Interior Senator Andreas Geisel (SPD) assured the Jewish community in the capital the "best possible protection".

Everything is done to protect Israeli and Jewish, but also Muslim and Palestinian institutions.

The police in Berlin had announced that it would take consistent action if Israeli flags were burned again or prohibited symbols were shown.

The city of Frankfurt am Main temporarily prohibited a pro-Palestinian rally planned for Saturday in the city center.

The reason are fears about public safety, said the city's security department.

"Absolutely unacceptable"

The federal government's integration commissioner, Annette Widmann-Mauz, sharply criticized attacks on synagogues and other anti-Semitic attacks in Germany.

“Hatred, agitation and violence against Jews, Jewish symbols and institutions are absolutely unacceptable and can never be justified.

The right to demonstrate and freedom of expression end where hatred of Jews begins, ”said the CDU politician of the“ Rheinische Post ”.

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Federal Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht appealed to stand on the side of Israel.

"We are all asked to take a clear position when Jews are attacked - be it on the Internet or in real life," said the SPD politician in the newspapers of the Funke media group.

“We stand firmly on the side of Israel and express our unreserved solidarity.” The rocket fire cannot be justified by anything.

"Israel has the right to defend itself against the brutal terror of the rocket attacks."

"Anyone who uses protests to scream hatred of Jews is abusing the right to demonstrate"

After anti-Semitic riots, there are increasing calls for stronger action against anti-Semitism.

In view of the escalation in the Middle East conflict, there were anti-Semitic demonstrations and violence against Jewish institutions nationwide.

Source: WORLD / Fanny Juschten

With a view to rallies and anti-Semitic attacks in Germany, the minister emphasized: "There is no justification for shouting anti-Semitic slogans or for burning Israeli flags."

Minister of State for Culture Monika Grütters (CDU) and the Greens' candidate for Chancellor Annalena Baerbock made similar statements. "When Israel's cities and villages are attacked with hundreds of rockets, we cannot, must not and do not want to remain silent," said Grütters. Baerbock emphasized: "Anti-Semitic attacks, the burning of Israeli flags, hatred and agitation against people among us, that is not part of the democratic discourse, but an attack on human dignity, regardless of who or where it comes from."