German LEFT PARTY opts for Israel - Police attack Palestinians
Sam Hamersky | 11.01.2009 12:34
Berlin police attack Gaza-protest. Head of LEFT PARTY to speak on pro-Israel rally. Left Party members no longer march on Palestinian demo.
Berlin rally in support of "cast lead"
The Berlin LEFT PARTY´s Klaus Lederer
The head of the Berlin branch of the German LEFT PARTY, Klaus Lederer is to speak this Sunday on a demonstration in support of operation cast lead. This decision comes as riot police attacked Palestinians on a Gaza protest march in Berlin.
The Berlin Left Party rules the German capital together with the Socialdemocrats in a coalition government.
About 8.500 protesters marched in Berlin on Saturday against the Israeli onslaught on Gaza. 10.000 in the Ruhr area and about 5000 in other cities. The majority of the protesters in Berlin were Palestinians. The number of ethnic Germans on the march was well below 50. In comparison to last Saturday the number of left supporters has also dwindled. There were no anarchists or antifas, only a contingent of the small Marxist Leninist Party.
The small contingent of the Left Party consisting of about 30 people which was present on the previous march holding many flags of their party did not participate on the demo yesterday Since the marchers of this small block were members of three oppositionist local branches of the Berlin Left Party, insiders hint to that these members were "gagged" and pressurised not to take part on an anti-Israel protest. The members of the three oppositionist branches Spandau, Wedding and Neukolln have been subjected to Left Party disciplinary action on several occasions previously.
There was heavy police presence in Berlin yesterday. Water cannons were waiting in side streets and riots cops escorted the march right and left side. Police confiscated some placards and flags during the march which resulted occasionaly in scuffles with the police. The march was under strict scrutiny by many plain cloth police and German inner security special branch, filming protesters.
Riot police provoked a block of Palestinian youths continiously from the start of the march on. The riot coppers stormed the march several times to arrest young protesters, in some instances for shouting Israel is a terror state. 17 arrests were made. At the end of the march there was some sort of provocation going on. Presumably by the Antideutsche Antifa sect, holding an Israeli flag, and being protected by riot cops. Scuffles broke out and the Palestinian youths got very angry and shouted "you are all Jews!" at the riot coppers.
Minutes later riot coppers made a massive and final attack on the march and arrested two Palestinian youths.
Antideutsche also provoked the Gaza march of 10.000 in the Ruhr town of Duisburg, holding Israel flags out of windows, but Police in Duisburg entered the flats and confiscated the Israel-flags.
There´s a tendency by the state and by some n.g.o.s to portray the anti-war protests as being organised by Islamists and being intentionally antisemitic. This resonates in the German left. The state funded ngo s were originally established to tackle neofascism but now concentrate on "Islamism" and "migrants antisemitsm."
The Berlin exec committee of the LEFT PARTY favours these ngo s. But it´s the first time that Berlin LEFT PARTY leaders openly support a pro-Israel rally and appear as speakers on a demonstration in support of "Cast Lead" military operation.
The rally "for Israel and in support of cast lead" is also supported by the Left Party´s section "BAK Shalom" - a pressure group formed by the Antideutsche to influence the left.
The Berlin pro-Israel rally is organised by the board of Berlin´s jewish community, by German pro-Israel groups and zionist fomations and supported by several celebrities. But it is also supported by a Berlin radical anti-Muslim organisation whith links to neonazi-groups.
Apart from the Berlin head of the LEFT PARTY and leading members of the main German political parties.
http://derberliton.de/de/news/latest/support-israel-demo-in-berlin.html
http://www.klauslederer.de/
http://ipahb.de/
http://die-linke.de
The Berlin Left Party rules the German capital together with the Socialdemocrats in a coalition government.
About 8.500 protesters marched in Berlin on Saturday against the Israeli onslaught on Gaza. 10.000 in the Ruhr area and about 5000 in other cities. The majority of the protesters in Berlin were Palestinians. The number of ethnic Germans on the march was well below 50. In comparison to last Saturday the number of left supporters has also dwindled. There were no anarchists or antifas, only a contingent of the small Marxist Leninist Party.
The small contingent of the Left Party consisting of about 30 people which was present on the previous march holding many flags of their party did not participate on the demo yesterday Since the marchers of this small block were members of three oppositionist local branches of the Berlin Left Party, insiders hint to that these members were "gagged" and pressurised not to take part on an anti-Israel protest. The members of the three oppositionist branches Spandau, Wedding and Neukolln have been subjected to Left Party disciplinary action on several occasions previously.
There was heavy police presence in Berlin yesterday. Water cannons were waiting in side streets and riots cops escorted the march right and left side. Police confiscated some placards and flags during the march which resulted occasionaly in scuffles with the police. The march was under strict scrutiny by many plain cloth police and German inner security special branch, filming protesters.
Riot police provoked a block of Palestinian youths continiously from the start of the march on. The riot coppers stormed the march several times to arrest young protesters, in some instances for shouting Israel is a terror state. 17 arrests were made. At the end of the march there was some sort of provocation going on. Presumably by the Antideutsche Antifa sect, holding an Israeli flag, and being protected by riot cops. Scuffles broke out and the Palestinian youths got very angry and shouted "you are all Jews!" at the riot coppers.
Minutes later riot coppers made a massive and final attack on the march and arrested two Palestinian youths.
Antideutsche also provoked the Gaza march of 10.000 in the Ruhr town of Duisburg, holding Israel flags out of windows, but Police in Duisburg entered the flats and confiscated the Israel-flags.
There´s a tendency by the state and by some n.g.o.s to portray the anti-war protests as being organised by Islamists and being intentionally antisemitic. This resonates in the German left. The state funded ngo s were originally established to tackle neofascism but now concentrate on "Islamism" and "migrants antisemitsm."
The Berlin exec committee of the LEFT PARTY favours these ngo s. But it´s the first time that Berlin LEFT PARTY leaders openly support a pro-Israel rally and appear as speakers on a demonstration in support of "Cast Lead" military operation.
The rally "for Israel and in support of cast lead" is also supported by the Left Party´s section "BAK Shalom" - a pressure group formed by the Antideutsche to influence the left.
The Berlin pro-Israel rally is organised by the board of Berlin´s jewish community, by German pro-Israel groups and zionist fomations and supported by several celebrities. But it is also supported by a Berlin radical anti-Muslim organisation whith links to neonazi-groups.
Apart from the Berlin head of the LEFT PARTY and leading members of the main German political parties.
http://derberliton.de/de/news/latest/support-israel-demo-in-berlin.html http://www.klauslederer.de/ http://ipahb.de/ http://die-linke.de
Sam Hamersky
Comments
Hide the following 2 comments
German "left" in a bind?
11.01.2009 15:16
You seem to at least be able to note that some anti-Muslim "right wing" groups are supporting the Israelis but possibly more of the German right wing is more anti-Jewish than anti-Muslim and so is out there supporting the Palestinians.
Not being on the scene ourselves, need to let the German left (who are) decide for themsleves what they have to do in an awkward situation. I am betting that they are caught in a real bind becuase of who the bulk of the pro-Palestinian side in Germany might be.
MDN
German "Left" in a bind over Israel?
12.01.2009 18:37
U state: "German right wing is more anti-Jewish than anti-Muslim and so is out there supporting the Palestinians."
Outrightly No. Right wingers are antisemites 4 sure, but they also racist in general. So they dislike Muslim, Arabs, Turks, etc. Therefore the right wingers are not joining the protests.
They have tried to in the past. But the current Gaza protests in Germany are competely novel.
Why?
From what I know &´ve seen the Gaza protests in Germany are interely ethnic protests by turkish and arab muslims, organised by religious groups. They´re attended by the small high street traders of migrant working class inner city areas and many disgruntled "urban under-class" Palestine youths.
Because of racism, their white German counterparts are their natural enemies.
In some industrial areas you might encounter smaller segments of turkish, kurdish and arab traditional nationalist-communist groups (Stalinists, Maoists) in the protests.
There may habe been the one or 2 odd Nazi having a look of what´s going on, and in the past Nazis have taken on the subject of Palestine for token protests. But, don´t forget, they´re racists, and they jumped wholeheartedly on the wagon of islamophobia.
I´ve hardly seen any Germans at all. In Berlin of 8.500 approx. 30-50 Germans (including plain cloth coppers that is).
These novel protests are interely Muslim. The cultural gap between them and the average German left wing protesters are too big. (Stopping the march half way for prayer and so on.)
Neither the broad left, the radical left, trade unions, Trot grouplets nor the LEFT PARTY
have joined the protests officially or in any significant number (3 oder 5 even 20 is not "joining".)
Significantly, the formerly numerous and influential German peace movement hasn´t come out in support as well. It´s seems virtually inexistent.
On the other hand you have the centre right and segments of the far right joining in the front of Islamophobia. And you have sections of the German left, the centre right and left joining togheter in Pro-Israel stunts.
Secondly, is the Left in a bind over Israel?
contrary 2 the Green Party, most of the LEFT PARTY just shut up on Israel & Gaza 4 fear of making a mistake, as they shut up on most other controversial subjects... ...remember, the left is a merger of former social democrats and post-Stalinists...
Also, speaking up 4 Israel is part of the political game in Germany. Speaking against Israel is a kiss of death. And who ever draws first calling his opponent "Antisemite" is the winner.
Support of Israel in Germany is part of the official state doctrine since the 50ies, just as "market economy" and the welfare state. A visit to Israel always looks good on your cv, it´s as good as "My Jewish friend in NY, London, Tel Aviv, etc. says he loves me sooo much".
("I have a Jewish alsatian I found on the beach in Tel Aviv".)
Look at the iconography of Antideutsche, they associate Israel with expensive sun glasses, sexy IDF girls and beach parties.
Support for Israel shows ure complying with the system, ure no renitent, u want to get ahead in life.
So, if some one from the LEFT PARTY comes out 4 Israel it´s only part of the game.
Above all, the guy who spoke on the pro-Israel rally is also a Blairite, - supporter of social democratic realpolitik.
Sam