Jerusalem24– Palestinians in Berlin, Germany, were prevented from joining their brothers and sisters around the world as they commemorated the 74th anniversary of the Nakba, or Catastrophe, that marked the destruction of Palestinian society and homeland.
On Sunday, police in Berlin arrested and attacked anyone they saw demonstrating support for Palestine. Among those who were arrested was Majed Abu Salameh, a Palestinian living in the German capital, who was attacked by the police.
I am out of hospital with an arm sling after dozen harsh and brutal German police attacked me and hurt my shoulders. I am grateful for the support and caring. Our resistance is increasing, and the German structured and coordinated mechanism of eliminating us is increasing. https://t.co/c3M5a7a4aU
— WeWillNotBeSilenced✌🏿 (@MajedAbusalama) May 16, 2022
“I just left the hospital an hour ago with an arm sling to hold my shoulder after the German racist police almost dislocated my shoulder with their violent reactions to us wearing Palestine kuffiyehs,” Abu Salameh tweeted on Sunday, referring to the traditional Palestinian headscarf.
“Anti-Palestinian repression policies that have actually been embedded in the system here for the last decades to silence anything that has to do with Palestine in this country,” says Abu Salama in an interview with Jerusalem24.
Abu Salameh believes that the German policy of preventing any form of public solidarity with the Palestinians constitutes an attempt to silence them. “They are forcing every structural mechanism to make sure that we are invisible, we are silenced, we are censored,” he says.
This new wave of policies took the Palestinians including Abu Salameh by surprise: “It breaks all our fundamental rights in this country, as people who have been living here a while, have rights.”
Abu Salameh is part of Palestine Speaks, a new wave of Palestinian-led organizations that is trying to get Palestinian voices into the German public and political spheres. Amongst Palestine Speaks’ many activities, Abu Salameh says, “We’re calling for action online and offline and trying to be present in the city, with very visible […] Palestinian flags and Palestinian kuffiyehs and Palestinians signs.”
Listen to the whole interview with Majed Abu Salameh – a Palestinian-German writer, activist, and member of Palestine Speaks.
