Pro-Palestinian rally in Leipzig draws large police presence
Several hundred people gathered in Leipzig on Saturday for a pro-Palestinian demonstration aimed at protesting supporters of Israel within the left-wing scene.
Several left-wing groups have signed up to gather in the Connewitz district of the eastern German city. A large number of police officers were deployed, awaiting a prolonged operation.
The officers separated the different groups, sometimes using barriers. No major incidents have been reported so far.
A reporter at the scene heard protesters shouting “Viva Viva Palestina” and “Free Palestine.”
Handala, a pro-Palestinian group opposed to Israel, called for the rally under the slogan “Antifa means: Free Palestine.”
Germany’s internal security service, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, classifies Handala as an extremist.
Saturday’s protest is aimed at the largely pro-Israel left-wing scene, mainly based in the Connewitz district of Leipzig. Opponents of this group include other far-left groups.
State police called for support beyond Saxony to include members of forces from Thuringia, Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein.
