The first pro-Palestinian rally approved in Hamburg since Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel ended early on Wednesday evening. After the organizer, the Council of Islamic Communities (Shura), was unable to get individual rally participants to comply with the requirements imposed by the assembly authority, he ended the meeting after around half an hour.
According to police reports, 800 people followed the Shura’s call for a rally under the motto “Let us peacefully raise our voices for the people and peace in the Middle East – including for the Palestinian people.” 1,500 were expected.
The crowd chanted “Free, free Palestine” several times – a slogan that was not permitted due to the restrictions imposed by the assembly authorities. “Allahu Akbar” (Allah is great) was chanted again and again – especially by young demonstrators. In addition to many Palestinian flags, posters with slogans such as “Israel bombs, Germany tolerates”, “German reason of state kills” and “Stop killing babies” were also held up.
The police accompanied the rally in the St. Georg district with a large contingent of 1,500 emergency services. The Hamburg officers were supported by colleagues from Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony, Bremen, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and the federal police. Several water cannons were also available.
Only after repeated requests via loudspeaker did the crowd move away from the venue. The mood in the area remained tense, but according to the police there were no major incidents.
Shura deputy chairwoman Özlem Nas was disappointed after the rally ended. As a religious community, the Shura was keen to make the Palestinian voice heard. Individuals did not adhere to the requirements. “And of course it doesn’t do anything for the city’s society or the people of Palestine if you stand up and just shout your frustration.” It must now be considered whether such rallies are still possible under the strict conditions.
According to the police, the strict requirements were intended to ensure that Jewish life is respected and that the State of Israel’s right to exist is never questioned. The display of banners was limited to specified content and the number of Palestinian flags was also specified. Chants should only be initiated from the rally stage – and the slogans had also been voted on there beforehand.
Before the Shura rally, the assembly authority had banned at least seven registered pro-Palestinian gatherings, citing a threat analysis. In the case of Shura, the fact that its board of directors paid a visit to the Hamburg Jewish community immediately after the Hamas attack and expressed its solidarity was factored into the positive assessment, the police said.
According to State Rabbi Shlomo Bistritzky, there have been no attacks on Jewish institutions or people in Hamburg following the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7th. He viewed the Shura rally as fundamentally positive: “I understand that people want to show solidarity with the Palestinians here,” said Bistritzky. That’s fine, “as long as it’s done peacefully and orderly.”
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, a general order banning all unregistered and non-officially confirmed pro-Palestinian gatherings was extended by the assembly authority for another four days until next Sunday.
