Islamists take part in the demonstration
Protesters in Essen demand the caliphate – Anti-Semitic posters in Frankfurt
November 4, 2023, 12:43 a.m
There are disturbing scenes at pro-Palestinian demonstrations in Frankfurt and Essen. In the Main metropolis, some participants hold up anti-Semitic posters. Arrests occur. According to the police, the demonstration in Essen was “very emotional but peaceful”: with shouts of “Allahu Akbar” and calls for the establishment of a caliphate.
In Frankfurt am Main and Essen, hundreds of people took part in pro-Palestinian demonstrations after Friday prayers. Nine people were arrested in Frankfurt. Among other things, investigations were initiated on suspicion of incitement to hatred, the use of unconstitutional license plates and suspicion of depicting violence, as the police announced in the evening.
Up to 850 people took part in the demonstration under the motto “Ceasefire in Gaza” in downtown Frankfurt. According to their own statements, the police seized a sign with “SS runes” and arrested its bearer. Another woman held up a poster showing the flag of the State of Israel in a garbage can – and the words “Keep the World clean.” The sign was also confiscated and the woman has to answer on suspicion of sedition, it was said.
Participants in the demonstration show the “Tawhid finger”, a symbol popular among IS supporters.
(Photo: picture alliance/dpa)
Accompanied by numerous police officers, hundreds of people also protested in Essen against the Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip. The police counted around 3,000 participants. The pro-Palestinian demonstration was registered by a private individual. The demonstration was “very loud and very emotional, but peaceful,” said a police spokesman. No crimes were identified. The police had issued a number of conditions and announced that they would take consistent action if things went unpeaceful.
“Allahu Akbar”, Caliphate and “Tauhud Finger”
As the “Bild” newspaper reported, the demonstrators also included Islamists from the banned “Hizb ut-Tahrir” party, whose goal is to establish a global caliphate state. Posters with corresponding demands can be seen in the dpa photos. According to the newspaper, protesters shouted, among other things, “Allahu Akbar.” According to “Bild”, women had to take part in the demonstration separately from men.
As can be seen in the photos, numerous participants showed the “Tauhid finger” – a symbol that, according to the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, is used primarily by supporters of political Islam, such as supporters of the so-called Islamic State. The “Tauhud finger” means “There is no god but Allah”.
On October 7th, terrorists from Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, carried out a massacre of civilians in Israel. Since then, Israel’s army has been using air strikes and ground troops against targets in the sealed-off coastal area.