ISTANBUL

An event in Berlin addressing issues surrounding Palestine and the ongoing conflict in Gaza was forcibly relocated on Tuesday by German police under intense political and police pressure, facing threats following the move.

The “Reclaiming the Discourse: Palestine, Justice, and Truth” event, featuring UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese and prominent human rights figures, originally set to take place at Kuhlhaus Berlin, was moved to Junge Welt at Torstrabe 6 after the venue faced coercion from German politicians and Berlin police, Democracy in Europe Movement 2025 (DiEM25) said in a statement.

The organizers, who had planned for a larger audience, were forced to scale down, with the venue now holding only 200 attendees. The in-house livestream was also canceled, and the event will be streamed exclusively on YouTube.

The event also featured Amnesty International’s Julia Duchrow, Medico International’s Riad Othman, and Jewish artists Eyal Weizman and Michael Barenboim.

Albanese, who has faced repeated cancelations of her events in Germany, was once again targeted by authorities, raising concerns over the country’s treatment of dissenting voices.

The organizers of the event, alongside political movements such as DiEM25, condemned the actions of the German state, describing them as a dangerous escalation of authoritarianism.

"This is an outright attack on democracy and free speech," the organizers said.

"We are being subjected to censorship and intimidation simply for hosting a conversation about Palestine, justice, and truth."