The western German city of Frankfurt has banned a pro-Palestine demonstration registered for the anniversary of the October 7 attack on Israel by the terrorist organisation Hamas, it said on Thursday.
“One year ago on this day, the biggest mass murder of Jews since the Shoah took place. Registering this rally on 7th October, of all days, the anniversary of the Hamas terrorist attack, is an extreme provocation that we deeply condemn,” said the city’s mayor, Mike Josef and the head of the public order department, Annette Rinn, in a statement.
The right to demonstrate is a very precious right, they said, “however if there are fears that the demonstration will include crimes such as incitement of the people, calls for criminal acts, and anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic statements, and if, according to the recognisable circumstances, public safety is directly endangered, then we must act.”
Decisions to ban similar demonstrations have often led to legal disputes in the past.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas and other militants launched a terrorist attack on Israel, killing around 1,200 people and abducting around 240 people into Gaza.
Israel responded with a fierce and ongoing counter-attack on Gaza. The Hamas-controlled health authority in the besieged strip puts the current death toll at more than 41,000 since 7th October. The figure does not distinguish between civilians and fighters, but health officials say the majority of casualties have been women and children.
dpa