The country’s so-called political centre has licensed a new era of authoritarianism – to the AfD’s delight, says Hanno Hauenstein, a Berlin-based journalist

Germany has recently taken a chilling new step, signalling its willingness to use political views as grounds to curb migration. Authorities are now moving to deport foreign nationals for participating in pro-Palestine actions. As I reported this week in the Intercept, four people in Berlin – three EU citizens and one US citizen – are set to be deported over their involvement in demonstrations against Israel’s war on Gaza. None of the four have been convicted of a crime, and yet the authorities are seeking to simply throw them out of the country.

The accusations against them include aggravated breach of the peace and obstruction of a police arrest. Reports from last year suggest that one of the actions they were alleged to have been involved in included breaking into a university building and threatening people with objects that could have been used as potential weapons.

But the deportation orders go further. They cite a broader list of alleged behaviours: chanting slogans such as “Free Gaza” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, joining road blockades (a tactic frequently used by climate activists), and calling a police officer a “fascist”. Read closely, the real charge appears to be something more basic: protest itself.

  • UltraBlack@lemmy.worldEnglish
    716·
    22 hours ago

    Context for all the people who think this is some illegal bs: The group of protesters invaded a campus building, threatened staff, destroyed IT equipment, vandalised entire rooms and sprayed a hamas symbol on a wall

    Yeah no let’s tolerate this <3

    • GreyAlien@lemm.eeEnglish
      141·
      21 hours ago

      Would you be so kind as to provide the sources proving these individuals did all the things you said? They aren’t being criminally indicted for any of the accusations you’ve made.

      I’m quite surprise you took time to write a comment this long with so many different words to say nothing of substance.

      • UltraBlack@lemmy.worldEnglish
        11·
        6 hours ago

        https://de.euronews.com/2025/04/04/vier-palastina-aktivisten-droht-abschiebung-aus-deutschland

        Die Freie Universität hatte den Vorfall damals unmittelbar danach als “gewalttätigen Angriff” verurteilt, bei dem 40 maskierte Personen versucht hätten, ein Campus-Gebäude zu stürmen, “Mitarbeiter verbal zu bedrohen und körperliche Gewalt anzuwenden”. Nach Angaben der Universität wurden IT-Geräte zerstört, Räume verwüstet und ein Hamas-Symbol an eine Wand gesprüht

        Being a part of a group that does this counts as well.

        • GreyAlien@lemm.eeEnglish
          1·
          4 hours ago

          Liability for crimes committed during protests must be personal and based on evidence that the individual either committed or intended to commit unlawful acts. Participation in a protest alone cannot be the basis for criminal suspicion or charges unless there is reasonable evidence linking the individual to specific offenses.

          The right to protest peacefully is protected under international human rights law, such as Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Courts have ruled that participants retain this right even if violence occurs during the protest, provided they did not engage in or intend violent acts themselves.