Pro-Palestinian rally in Berlin accusing Israel of ‘genocide’ draws thousands

Thousands of people gathered in front of Berlin’s landmark Brandenburg Gate on Saturday for an anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian rally demanding an end to “the genocide in Gaza” as well as a halt to arms deliveries to Ukraine.

Around 12,000 people joined the rally in the center of the German capital condemning Israel’s war against Hamas in the territory, according to police figures.

But the far-left BSW party, which had called the demonstration, estimated turnout at 20,000 people, making it one of the largest pro-Palestinian rallies in Germany in recent months.

In light of its historical responsibility for the Holocaust, Germany has made support for the State of Israel a cornerstone of its foreign policy. But German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has become critical of the war in Gaza and announced a partial arms embargo in August, saying that his country would halt the export of military equipment that could be used in the Gaza Strip.

Marie Atwan, a 20-year-old student, told AFP that she had come from Hamburg to join the rally to demand “a complete halt to German arms deliveries” to Israel.

Not banning those weapons sales amounted to supporting “the genocide in Gaza”, she said. Israel adamantly rejects the charge that it is committing genocide, saying it makes efforts to avoid civilian casualties and accusing Hamas of putting noncombatants in harm’s way.

During the rally, BSW founder Sahra Wagenknecht also touched on the war in Ukraine, demanding that Berlin commit “to peace negotiations — both in the Middle East and in Ukraine.”