BERLIN
German police cracked down harshly on pro-Palestinian protesters Saturday and detained many in Berlin.
During a march that started from Neptunbrunnen Square, demonstrators chanted slogans such as "Germany finances, Israel bombs", "Terrorist Israel", "Palestine is ours" and "Freedom for Palestine."
Tension rose after three people with opposing views raised the Israeli flag at Potsdamer Platz, the endpoint of the march.
Police intervened harshly against those in support of Palestine and detained many of the protesters.
Two female demonstrators were injured during the harsh intervention.
Since Tel Aviv launched its brutal onslaught on Oct. 7, more than 38,900 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip, most of them women and children, while over 89,600 have been injured, according to Gaza’s local health authorities.
More than nine months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.
Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which in its latest ruling has ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on 6 May.
*Writing by Gozde Bayar