One of the most repressive global regimes towards Palestine solidarity is Germany, which sees itself as having a “special responsibility” to support Israel in light of the Holocaust.
After banning pro-Palestine marches entirely last year following Israel’s killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, Berlin police disbanded this year’s Nakba day rally after protesters chanted: “From the river to the sea”.
Police had previously warned organisers the rally would be cancelled if the chant was recited, on the grounds that it “denies Israel’s right to exist” and is therefore “not allowed in this country”.
On 11 October, Vienna police banned a Palestine demonstration on the grounds that the organisers had included the slogan in their invitations. They claimed “From the river to the sea” violates article 2 of the European convention on human rights, the right to life. Austria’s ruling rightwing Freedom party has one of the most hardline pro-Israel stances in the EU: the country was one of the swiftest in the bloc to suspend aid to Palestine following Hamas’ 7 October attack.
The UK is now making moves to follow suit. On 10 October, Suella Braverman wrote to the chief constables of England and Wales regarding recent events in Israel and Palestine.
“I would encourage police to consider whether chants such as “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” should be understood as an expression of a violent desire to see Israel erased from the world,” she wrote, “and whether its use in certain contexts may amount to a racially aggravated section 5 public order offence.”