The Berlin capital police announced that it had decided to ban several pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel activities and demonstrations, which were supposed to be held on the occasion of the Palestinian Nakba anniversary.

The ban covers a total of five pro-Palestinian gatherings that Palestinian groups and their German friends were accustomed to holding every year.

This ban also applies, according to the police, to any alternative event until Sunday (May 14, 2022). The competent authorities justified this ban for fear of raising inciting slogans and others hostile to anti-Semitism or the occurrence of acts of violence.

Berlin police justified its decision in a tweet on Twitter: “After evaluating all the circumstances and weighing all interests, several meetings announced in the coming days have been banned.”

On the other hand, George Rashmawi, a member of the executive office of the Palestinian community in Germany, expressed his astonishment at the decision, confirming the necessity to adhere to paragraph five of the German Basic Law, which clearly states the citizens’ right to express their opinion by all means and prohibits restricting that.

Rashmawi confirmed that there is anger among the Palestinian community, as they feel there is an attempt to prevent them from political expression under the pretext of anti-Semitism, which the community sees as incorrect and refuses to involve itself in this matter. If someone has erred and raised forbidden slogans, they can be tried, but this issue should not be generalized to everyone and prevent them from expressing their opinion, especially as they also abide by German laws.

Regarding their future plans, Rashmawi said that the Palestinian community has assigned a lawyer to head to the judiciary to lift this ban and prevent linking it to anti-Semitism in the future.

Several Palestinian civil leaders in Berlin explained that they do not accept being accused of anti-Semitism in the demonstrations, saying their only goal is to shed light on the ongoing oppression by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territories.

An earlier German court ruled at the beginning of this month to ban a pro-Palestinian demonstration that was scheduled to be held in the capital, Berlin.

A judicial official said that because of the alleged anti-Semitic incidents that occurred on the sidelines of an anti-Israel protest last week, the administrative court in Berlin upheld the ban imposed earlier by the police.

Officials in the police stated that “based on recent experiences,” there is a “direct danger” from anti-Semitic slogans and acts of violence. The police also alleged that the marches witnessed “anti-Semitic and inciting slogans.”

Iris Springer, a member of the Berlin Senate, said earlier to German media that Berlin witnessed crimes and anti-Semitic slogans during last weekend’s demonstrations, according to the German agency. She added: “This is completely unacceptable.”