Berlin in turmoil: Thousands demand the end of violence in the Gaza Strip!

Berlin in turmoil: Thousands demand the end of violence in the Gaza Strip!

On June 22, 2025, thousands of people took to the streets in Berlin to protest the Israeli military actions in the Gaza Strip. The demonstration with the motto "United 4 Gaza" began in front of the Reichstag and moved through the government district towards Potsdamer Platz. According to the police, there were at least 12,000 participants, while the organizers reported over 40,000 people. In the event of a good mood, but also with serious demands, the demonstrators called for an end to the arms deliveries to Israel and compliance with international law. Missing humanitarian aid was also discussed and some carriers of a Kufiya or Palestinian flag were posted, which urgently called for German support, which they described as genocide and apartheid. Deutschlandfunk reports on events, while the Berlin police were present with over 1,300 emergency services and also observed demonstration from the air.

The situation escalated in the course of the afternoon when the police came to attack. By the evening, more than 50 arrests were reported, including in some cases for propagandaeles and due to assault on the emergency services. At certain moments, the police were forced to use violence to carry out arrest and protect their own civil servants. The injured state of some demonstrators has also not been mentioned. Independent reports about the exact circumstances of the incidents were initially missing.

international protests

Not only in Berlin was protested. Tens of thousands also gathered in London to demonstrate against the events in Gaza and the Israeli attacks, which were also directed against Iran. According to the police, the protests were peaceful. Also in the Swiss capital of Bern, around 20,000 people came to the parliament and asked for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, as Zeit reported.

The background of all these protests is as alarming as it is questionable: the conflict in the Gaza Strip was created almost two years ago when Hamas committed a major attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. The subsequent military operations of Israel led to a catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. Aid deliveries are currently severely restricted and the local organizations are fighting for the survival of the civilian population. The Israeli forces and supportive militias have repeatedly shot Palestinian civilians, which led to the flight of tens of thousands that reacted to the Israeli government's evacuation orders. Human rights organizations speak of ethnic cleansing and accuses Israel to use hunger as a weapon of war. The allegation of a genocide is currently being examined by the International Court of Justice in the Hague, such as SPIEGEL reported.