Germany’s Palestine solidarity movement took a huge step forward last weekend. A mass demonstration in Berlin, attracting tens of thousands from across the country, was easily the largest and most diverse since October 7, 2023, and the first time that significant numbers outside of the Muslim community and the far left participated. With Amnesty International and other more moderate-seeming groups also participating, the march sent a clear signal: In Germany, ever-more people are disgusted by their government’s support for the Israeli genocide in Gaza — and dubious antisemitism claims are no longer able to stop them from protesting.
The rally also showed the new balance of forces within democratic socialist party Die Linke. For most of the war, it had remained — if not silent — at least relatively quiet about the war crimes being committed with German weapons. Yet last Saturday, thousands of members came from across cities around Germany to stand with Gaza, while only a negligible handful of party right-wingers and ex-members attended a counter-vigil. Party cochair Ines Schwerdtner, who was one of the initiators of the demonstration and in September became the first Die Linke leader to use the word “genocide” to describe what is happening in Gaza, even publicly acknowledged that the party and its leadership had remained silent on Gaza for too long. She promised support for the movement going forward.
Even the most optimistic estimates for attendance last Saturday — around 100,000 — are low compared to neighboring countries, including Belgium, whose capital, Brussels, has seen repeated demonstrations exceeding that number, and Italy, with its major strike for Gaza on September 22. Nevertheless, this is a huge advance for the…
Auteur: Loren Balhorn
