GERMANY-AL QUD DEMO Israel and Al Quds supporters protest in parallel demos in Berlin

Record ID: 147539

  • Title: GERMANY-AL QUD DEMO Israel and Al Quds supporters protest in parallel demos in Berlin
  • Date: 11th July 2015
  • Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (JULY 11, 2015) (REUTERS) PRO-ISRAEL DEMONSTRATORS APPLAUDING AT RALLY ORGANISER SPEAKING ONSTAGE POSTER READING (German): "Solidarity with Israel" POSTER READING (German): "Freedom for Iran" PRO-ISRAEL DEMONSTRATORS WATCHING SPEECH (SOUNDBITE) (German) PRO-ISRAEL DEMONSTRATOR, GERHARD HASE-HINDENBERG, SAYING: "It has nothing to do with people saying, 'I do
  • Embargoed: 26th July 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA28LJJLICM28IVZCTR479UHBG3
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Pro-Israel demonstrators gathered in downtown Berlin on Saturday (July 11) to protest against the annual celebration of International Quds Day, which took place on Friday (July 10).
    The event is held every year on the last Friday of the Muslim festival of Ramadan. It was first held in Iran in 1979 to express solidarity with the Palestinian people and oppose Zionism and Israel's existence, as well as Israel's control of Jerusalem.
    A group of activists, including members of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union Youth division and the Lesbian and Gay Federation, demonstrated against Quds Day as they consider it an excuse to distribute anti-Semitic propaganda.
    "It has nothing to do with people saying, 'I don't like the state of Israel or the Israeli government.' I am fine with that, but these people want Israel, especially Jerusalem, to be Jew-free," Gerhard Hase-Hindenberg told Reuters.
    "The fact that people in Germany can take to the streets and demonstrate, saying that a Jewish state should be Jew-free, is unbelievable. In other countries these demos have been forbidden," he added.
    Beate Winzer joined the rally and expressed fear that the threat of radical islam was infiltrating Europe.
    "Regarding the possible threat to Israel by the Islamic State, I personally feel that this enormous hatred which has been preached so much by this small terrorist group is extremely threatening. They are threatening Iraq as a state itself and the complete Middle East. It is coming closer to Europe and I am here to set a statement against that," Winzer said.
    Several thousand Al Quds supporters were expected at a parallel demonstration in Berlin on Saturday. However only a few hundred turned up.
    The two rallies were kept separate by policemen.
    Pro-Palestinian Al Quds demonstrators claimed they were not protesting against Jews, only Zionists.
    "We are here to make sure that international laws are kept in Israel, and that all the people can live equally in a democratic state, and that the Palestinians can enjoy their freedom and go back," Ali, an Al Quds supporter, added.
    "I want a state to be elected where Jews, Christians and Muslims can live together. A two-state solution will always be utopia and the Israelis know that. They will always fight against each other. Jews and Christians have to unite in Palestine. The country of Israel, which is an illegitimate state, has been built on injustice," activist and protest organiser Juergen Grassmann stated.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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