Berlin's Brandenburg Gate Lit in Israeli Colors; Pro-Palestinian Protest Dispersed

The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin was illuminated in the colors of the Israeli flag on Wednesday evening, marking three years since the October 7th massacre, an annual commemoration. Simultaneously, police in the city dispersed a pro-Palestinian demonstration, arresting participants, including climate activist Greta Thunberg. Earlier, a central memorial ceremony in Berlin, held at a square where Nazis burned books in 1933, drew an estimated 1,700 attendees, according to police. Speakers at the ceremony included Israeli Ambassador Ron Prosor and German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, who stated, "Every antisemitic attack is for me another mission to continue to take a stand: for the Jews in Germany, for the State of Israel."

In a morning memorial prayer at the Chabad central synagogue, Ambassador Prosor emphasized the need for a "firewall against antisemitism" from all political sides. This "firewall" refers to a political commitment to avoid coalition with extremist parties, primarily targeting the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), with recent calls to extend this to the left-wing party Die Linke. Meanwhile, a pro-Palestinian demonstration, estimated by police at around 700 participants including Thunberg, marched from the Kreuzberg district towards Neukölln. Demonstrators chanted slogans such as "There is only one solution: Intifada revolution" and "Israel is killing children." Police arrested individuals for displaying Hamas symbols and assaulting officers, ultimately declaring the protest dispersed around 10 PM before it reached its destination.

Prior to the march, a poster circulated online depicting a bulldozer breaching a barbed-wire fence, reminiscent of October 7th, describing the massacre as a "beacon of steadfastness." Police have launched an investigation into suspected glorification of violence. The demonstration featured signs supporting the massacre and Hamas, as well as a portrait of the late Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei.

In London, police arrested 11 people during protests marking the anniversary of the massacre. Five were detained on suspicion of inciting racial hatred after calling for an intifada outside the offices of the Board of Deputies of British Jews. Six others were arrested during pro-Palestinian student marches and a counter-protest. A memorial rally near Downing Street was attended by Minister for Communities Angela Rayner. Phil Rosenberg, President of the Board of Deputies, stated, "This is not just a Jewish problem, but a British problem." Keith Black, Chairman of the Jewish Leadership Council, addressed the Green Party's recent comparison of Zionism to racism, asserting, "British Jewry is a Zionist community. We stand with Israel."