German police break up pro-Palestinian protest at Humboldt University

BERLIN

German police broke up a pro-Palestinian demonstration at Humboldt University on Friday, arresting several protesters and university students.

The group staged a sit-in in front of the university’s main building in central Berlin, shouting slogans such as "Free Gaza", “Israel is a fascist state,” and "Germany, stop arms shipments to Israel.”

They wore keffiyehs in solidarity with the Palestinians, and carried signs that read: “There is no academia without truth”, and "When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty."

After issuing warnings to disperse, the police forcibly removed demonstrators, and briefly detained dozens of protesters for identity checking.

Pro-Palestinian student groups are calling for sit-in protests at university campuses to protest Germany’s support of Israel’s military assault on Gaza. They are also demanding an end to repression in research institutions and universities against pro-Palestinian voices and those critical of the Israeli government.