On Saturday July 29th a little less then 100 people gathered on Munich Neuhauser Street, to hold a protest under the motto ‘Free Palestine’. Reason for the protest were tentions around the Al-Aqsa mosque – e.g. the installation of metal detectors. The protest comes at a time where the situation has already calmed down in Israel – metal detectors have been removed. Amongst the demonstrators there were several people that can be linked to the grey wolves – turkish fascists. One of them was showing the sign of the grey wolves and shouting ‘Allahu Akhbar’ and another one was wearing a flag of the ‘MHP’. It seems that the protest coming after the situation has calmed down just uses the latest events to take back ‘Free Palestine’ demonstrations to Munich streets. Reporting 2014, during the last big pro-palestinian demonstrations in Munich, journalists were also attacked.
Counter Protestors Show Israeli Flag and Photojournalist Gets Attacked
As counter-protestors yesterday displayed an Israeli flag a little off the rally the mood immediately changed from speeches and music, to angry shouts. Demonstrators placed themselves in front of the Israeli flag with palestinian flags and tried to hide the group of four holding protest against their rally. One man of the group started a verbal conflict with a counter-demonstrator. This counter-demonstrator was walking backwards holding his hands in the air. Our photographer and reporter was attacked and describes the situation the following:
I – 24mmjournalism photographer Michi – was documenting the incident of a pro-palestine protestor pushing back one obvious counter-protestor. Suddenly the man turned around and attacked me. A group of at least five sorrounded me. The man was trying to rip my camera away and another man grabbed me from the back, digging his fingernails into my stomach. After two minutes police arrived. While I was giving police my ID etc. the man standing with another officer a little off walked back up to me and told me he knew I was working for the Israeli Intelligence Service and he had seen me before and knows me. This shows the conspiracy theories this pro-palestine demonstrators seems to believe in an shows the hatred on Israel.
– Michael Trammer, Freelance Photo- and Videojournalist
The attack on our photographer was documented by our video team on site:
Picture Gallery of the Demonstration
