Video shows a Berlin police officer punching a woman twice in the face during an unregistered pro-Palestinian protest, leaving her bloodied. The unauthorized rally drew a heavy police response in central Berlin on Thursday, August 28, 2025, with officers detaining several demonstrators after clashes near the Rosenthaler Strasse Apple store. The gathering had been promoted on social media as an act of civil disobedience. Dozens of participants unfurled banners reading "Boycott Israel" and "Forever Taeterland," a term referencing Germany's Nazi past, while chanting "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" and "We want 48, we only want one state." Police, some with dogs, moved in to disperse the crowd, pushing protesters down the street. Several people were injured in the scuffles and detained. Berlin has seen a series of unauthorized pro-Palestinian demonstrations since the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023, with authorities frequently banning gatherings that they fear could spill into antisemitic agitation. Thursday's protest was among the latest to highlight tensions over Germany's role in the Middle East war.
Video Credit © Michael Kuenne/ ZUMA Press Wire