German human rights group calls pro-Palestine demonstration ban ‘highly problematic’

BERLIN

A leading German human rights group on Monday termed the recent sporadic ban on pro-Palestinian demonstrations “highly problematic.”

“It is also important to combat antisemitism and not fuel racism. It will only be successful if politics, the media and society do not place those parts of the population who are perceived as Palestinian, Arab or Muslim under general suspicion,” said Beate Rudolf, the director of the German Institute for Human Rights, during a news conference in Berlin.

“This is why long-term bans on pro-Palestinian demonstrations are highly problematic. To be clear: All people in Germany have the right to freedom of assembly. This also gives them the right to peacefully express grief over the victims in Gaza (war) and solidarity with the people there,” she added.

Rudolf stressed her concern over the anti-Muslim racism in Germany in the aftermath of the start of the Gaza conflict on Oct. 7.

“We have been dealing with racism, anti-Muslim racism in Germany for a long time and we are indeed concerned about the reactions in Germany after October 7th,” she said.

Last week, a Muslim leader in Germany lamented what he termed "a climate of fear" in the country over the past two months.

“We have had so many attacks on mosque communities within weeks than ever before. We have attacks on Muslims and also those who are perceived to be Muslims at a rate like never before,” Aiman Mazyek, the chairman of the Central Council of Muslims in Germany, told media representatives in Berlin.

It makes me “very, very worried” when it comes to the sense of security of the Muslim community, he added.