15 Detained at Nakba Demonstration in Berlin as Clashes Leave Dozens Injured
Police detained 15 at a Nakba demonstration in Berlin on May 15; organisers reported dozens injured after clashes and pepper-spray use amid contested slogans.
A Nakba demonstration in Berlin on May 15 drew roughly 2,000 participants and ended with 15 people taken into provisional custody, the police said on the social media platform X. Authorities said the arrests followed criminal acts committed from within the march, and that one police officer sustained minor injuries during the operation. Organisers disputed parts of the official account, saying dozens were hurt after officers used pepper spray while policing the event.
Police detain 15 during Nakba demonstration in Berlin
The Berlin police reported that 15 people were detained temporarily in connection with offences allegedly carried out during the Nakba demonstration Berlin event. Police spokespersons said the action responded to incidents of violence and unlawful behaviour emerging from the crowd, and that investigations are ongoing. Officials also noted that security forces recorded attacks on officers and journalists during the march.
Police described the demonstration as having approximately 2,000 participants and said they observed chants that contravened legal prohibitions. Authorities did not immediately disclose the identities of those detained or the precise charges they face, citing ongoing inquiries. Prosecutors will review evidence collected on scene, including any video and witness statements gathered by law enforcement and the press.
Organisers report dozens injured after pepper-spray use
Event organisers countered the police narrative by reporting that some 30 people were injured, attributing those injuries to the deployment of pepper spray by security forces. Representatives for the organisers said many of the injuries were minor but that the use of chemical deterrents inflamed tensions and complicated medical care on site. They urged a transparent review of police tactics and called for clarity about why force was used against demonstrators.
Medical volunteers and witness accounts described scenes of coughing, eye irritation and difficulty breathing among several demonstrators following the pepper-spray incidents. Organisers also said they had sought to maintain a peaceful march under the slogan “Schluss mit der Besatzung Palästinas – 78 Jahre Al Nakba,” which framed the gathering as a commemoration of displacement since 1948. The differing accounts set the stage for competing investigations into both crowd behaviour and police conduct.
Police say officers and journalists were attacked, banned slogans chanted
Law enforcement officials said the operation was prompted in part by physical assaults on officers and journalists and by the vocalisation of prohibited slogans during the march. According to police, a female officer suffered light injuries after being targeted, and several journalists reported obstruction while reporting on the demonstration. Authorities maintain that public safety obligations required decisive intervention when criminal acts occurred.
Police statements emphasised the need to protect press freedom even as they move to contain disorder, noting that attacks on journalists undermine the public’s right to information. The force did not provide a full inventory of assaulted media representatives but said complaints had been logged and would be investigated. Legal experts point out that prosecuting chants or slogans depends on whether speech crosses into criminally proscribed incitement under German law.
Related demonstrations in Frankfurt and London draw large crowds
The Nakba anniversary prompted parallel actions across Europe, with several hundred people marching through central Frankfurt and roughly 20,000 gathering in Kensington, London, according to local organisers and police tallies. Frankfurt demonstrators carried banners denouncing what they called “genocide in Gaza” and expressing solidarity with Palestinian resistance. In London, the large turnout reflected a broader international mobilisation around the May 15 commemoration.
Crowds in other cities proceeded largely without the confrontations reported in Berlin, according to municipal police statements from those locales. Organisers said simultaneous protests were coordinated to mark 78 years since the displacement of Palestinians following the 1948 war. International rights groups and diplomatic officials are monitoring the demonstrations for signs of cross-border coordination and potential escalation.
History of unrest at Berlin Nakba events and prior prosecutions
Berlin has seen repeated disturbances at Nakba-related demonstrations in recent years, including a 2025 incident that left several officers injured and resulted in 56 arrests. Prosecutors then opened investigations into allegations including grievous bodily harm and severe breaches of the peace, and some cases proceeded to court. That history informed policing decisions this year, with authorities citing previous violence as a factor in their readiness and response.
Community leaders, civil liberties advocates and legal observers have long debated the balance between allowing political expression and preventing unlawful conduct at highly charged events. Following the 2025 prosecutions, officials sought to refine operational plans for crowd control and evidence collection. Those measures appear to have been invoked again on May 15 as police said they moved to disrupt criminal activity while continuing to facilitate lawful assembly.
Investigations into the Berlin incident remain active and are expected to involve both police reports and testimony from organisers, journalists and medical volunteers. Prosecutors will assess whether detained individuals should face charges and whether police actions complied with proportionality standards. Interested parties have signalled intentions to review footage from bystanders and media outlets to establish an independent record of the events.
The outcome of the inquiries could affect how future commemorations are policed and whether authorities adjust directives on the use of force at demonstrations. For now, Berlin authorities stress they will pursue legal avenues to hold perpetrators accountable while organisers press for independent scrutiny of the response to the Nakba demonstration in Berlin.
