German police surrounded an event in Berlin featuring UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, forcing organizers to relocate after political pressure.
German police surrounded on Tuesday an event in Berlin featuring UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, forcing the organizers to relocate to a smaller venue after intense political and legal pressure, the organizers reported.
The event, titled “Reclaiming the Discourse: Palestine, Justice, and Truth,” which focused on Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people, was originally scheduled to take place at Freie Universität Berlin. However, it was canceled after intervention from Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) and Israel’s ambassador, prompting the organizers to seek a new venue.
The event, hosted by Democracy in Europe Movement 2025 (DiEM25) and MERA25, also featured key figures such as Amnesty Germany’s Julia Duchrow and Jewish artists Eyal Weizman and Michael Barenboim.
🚨 German police surrounded an event featuring UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, forcing organizers to relocate under intense political pressure. The event, addressing Israel’s genocide against Palestinians, was originally set for Freie Universität Berlin but had to be… pic.twitter.com/I0kP2hQuMD
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) February 19, 2025
In light of the growing pressure, it was relocated to Junge Welt at Torstraße 6, but due to the venue’s smaller capacity, only a fraction of the expected 500 attendees could attend.
A heavy police presence surrounded the venue, heightening the already tense atmosphere.
Organizers resisted the pressure, but five officers attended the event, citing the need to “defend freedom of expression,” according to reports from Flamman. Earlier that day, graffiti appeared at the previous venues accusing Albanese of “antisemitism,” further escalating tensions around the event.
“I have to admit that about 75 hours in this country have made me pretty nervous. I can’t wait to go back to peaceful Tunisia,” Albanese said during her speech, pointing at the police officers who were attending the event.
“The situation is bad for freedom of expression pretty much everywhere, but still, I have never felt this feeling of lacking oxygen as I do here,” she added.
“I am someone who speaks of genocide, and there is a genocide ongoing, and it doesn’t matter how much genocide denialism there is, we need to be really aware of what we need to do altogether,” the UN Special Rapporteur concluded.
Free University of Berlin Cancels Event with UN Palestine Rapporteur Albanese
This marks the second time German authorities have attempted to block an event featuring Albanese. In February, Munich’s Ludwig-Maximilians University canceled an event hosting the UN official, citing ‘security concerns.’
The growing suppression of pro-Palestine and anti-genocide voices in Germany has drawn increasing criticism. Earlier this month, authorities banned Arabic slogans and music at demonstrations, claiming that hate speech was difficult to detect. The decision was widely condemned as racist, with Amnesty International describing it as an attack on free speech.
In response to the suppression, DIEM25 released a statement decrying the mounting pressure and censorship of dissenting voices in Germany.
The event, which aimed to address urgent issues surrounding Palestine, has become a focal point in the larger battle for free expression and political speech in the country.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
