2024-05-11 04:32:17
Pro-Palestinian protests at universities are also generating controversy in this country. The example of the Free University of Berlin shows how difficult it is to deal with this.
It started weeks ago in the USA. Pro-Palestinian groups have set up protest camps against Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip at more than 100 American universities. Since then, a wave seems to be going around the world. Tent cities and angry demonstrators at colleges in Bangladesh and Australia, in Spain and Britain, in France and Finland, in the Netherlands and Denmark. And now also in Germany.
In the past few days there have not only been turbulent scenes at universities in Berlin and Leipzig. The University of Bremen also had a camp cleared. In Cologne there are tents on a meadow at the university, in Hamburg there is a vigil. Things remained quiet at other universities for the time being, but Jena and Weimar are also keeping a close eye on possible actions. And the dilemma is everywhere: Is this about legitimate expression of opinion or anti-Semitic propaganda? Compassion for the people of Gaza or pure hatred of Israel? And how can Jewish and non-Jewish young people study together in such a heated atmosphere? Because it’s not likely to end any time soon.
Criticism of the FU from all sides
The debate after the evacuation of a protest camp at the Free University of Berlin on Tuesday shows that those responsible can hardly do anything right in such a situation. The management of the FU reacted quickly when a few dozen people with Palestine scarves and banners streamed into a courtyard of the university in the morning and began to set up tents. At 10 a.m., someone responsible called the police, and at 12:20 p.m. the university applied for evacuation.
She received praise from the Berlin Senate and the Central Council of Jews for her quick intervention. However, Central Council President Josef Schuster criticized the university for not commenting on the content of the protest, which clearly had a “fanatical character”. The criticism from the other side was even more bitter. Around 100 lecturers from several Berlin universities opposed the eviction: “We call on the Berlin university management to refrain from police operations against their own students and from further criminal prosecution.” For this, the lecturers received outrage, including from Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger (FDP).
“This statement from teachers at Berlin universities is shocking. Instead of taking a clear stand against hatred of Israel and Jews, university occupiers are made victims and violence is trivialized,” said the FDP politician in the “Bild” newspaper.
Students, for their part, started a petition for the resignation of FU President Günter Ziegler. Social networks spread images of a very robust approach by some police officers. The police themselves reported on Wednesday that 79 people had been temporarily arrested, 49 of whom were women and 30 men, and that there were 80 criminal investigations and 79 administrative offenses.
“Extremely charged atmosphere”
Students who had nothing to do with the protest and just wanted to go to the library or the cafeteria as usual describe the hours of occupation, eviction, pro-Palestinian demonstration and a pro-Israel counter-demonstration as a drastic experience. It was an “extremely charged atmosphere,” said a student in a voice message. “If the situation were to escalate, it could be really dangerous.” She expressed surprise that a man wearing a yarmulke who was on the pro-Palestinian side was also taken away.
Another student said: “It was really frightening.” A third eyewitness says it was terrible to be simply excluded from your own university as a bystander. The police intervened massively and the reactions on campus were very emotional, frustrated, sad and angry. She expects further protests. “I believe there is more to come,” said the 23-year-old.
According to their own statements, all three young women did not hear any anti-Semitic slogans during the demonstrations. The university defended its actions with exactly this: “It is clear that there were anti-Semitic, discriminatory statements during yesterday’s protests, but also calls for violence,” explained a spokesman.