German police arrested five students at Humboldt University in Berlin on Wednesday, following a protest against Israeli military actions in Gaza and German government plans to deport pro-Palestinian activists. The protest is the latest in a series of student-led demonstrations across Europe that have raised questions about the boundaries between legitimate political expression and the toleration of extremist rhetoric, particularly antisemitism.
According to police reports, a group of students entered the building housing the Emil Fischer Lecture Hall, hanging banners from the windows bearing incendiary slogans such as „You are complicit in genocide,” „There is only one state, Palestine 48,” and „Intifada until victory.”
Outside the building, approximately 20 demonstrators rallied in support, chanting „Freedom for Palestine,” „Boycott Israel,” „No borders, no deportations,” and „Resistance is an international right.” Some protesters went further, accusing Germany of being a „fascist country” — a provocative statement, particularly in a nation where Holocaust memory and combating antisemitism are enshrined as central pillars of national identity.
The university administration swiftly requested police assistance to remove the demonstrators, estimating that between 40 and 60 individuals were involved. Law enforcement, which had already implemented extensive security measures, intervened and detained five people. No injuries were reported, although tensions remained high throughout the day.
A spokesperson for Humboldt University stated, „We respect freedom of expression and peaceful protest, but occupation of university buildings and the use of inflammatory, antisemitic rhetoric cannot be tolerated. There is a clear line between political protest and hate speech.”
The protest came in response not only to Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza but also to the Berlin state government’s announcement that it plans to deport four pro-Palestinian supporters accused of extremist activities. While activists claim these measures constitute political repression, authorities have argued that extremist agitation, particularly when it crosses into antisemitic incitement, has no place in German academic or public life.
Critics of the protest highlighted the alarming nature of slogans such as „Intifada until victory,” which many Jewish groups view as glorifying violence against Israeli civilians. „It is deeply troubling to see calls for violent uprising and the erasure of Israel being normalised under the guise of student activism,” said a representative of the Central Council of Jews in Germany. „Genuine concern for Palestinian lives must not be used as a cover for antisemitism or for promoting the destruction of the Jewish state.”
Germany has seen a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents since October 7, when Hamas launched a brutal assault against Israeli civilians, leading to an intensification of the conflict in Gaza. Many Jewish students in Germany have reported feeling unsafe on campus amid increasingly hostile and often violent anti-Israel demonstrations.
Berlin’s authorities, mindful of Germany’s historical responsibility to combat antisemitism, have repeatedly stressed that while political protests are protected under freedom of expression laws, any incitement to hatred, particularly targeting Jewish individuals or institutions, will not be tolerated.
„The right to protest ends where hatred and violence begin,” said Berlin’s Interior Senator, Iris Spranger, last month in response to another university protest.
As the situation in Gaza remains volatile and anti-Israel activism grows more heated across European universities, the challenge for Germany — and Europe more broadly — will be to balance the protection of free speech with the urgent need to confront resurgent antisemitism in all its forms.
Photo credit: Anadolu Agency
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