Drama in Berlin: Pro-Palestinian activists blocked the entrance to a facility owned by German arms and vehicle maker Rheinmetall on Thursday, protesting ammunition supplies to Israel and the company’s plans to expand production for it.
The protest took place in the city’s Wedding district, where members of a group calling itself Peacefully Against Genocide sat down at the entrance to the plant. Some protesters took the extreme step of gluing their hands to the ground at the gate, blocking vehicles from entering or leaving the site for several hours.
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With hands glued to the ground: Pro-Palestinians protest Berlin arms plant
(Photo: Sputnik)
The protesters carried signs reading, “No profit from genocide,” as well as images of destruction in Palestinian territories and Lebanon. They claimed the company already produces ammunition for Israel and plans to expand operations to make heavier ammunition.
Police officers who arrived at the scene used special substances to free the protesters’ hands from the ground, then detained them for questioning.
The protest group accused Germany and Rheinmetall of “making themselves complicit in war crimes” and called on the government to halt arms shipments to Israel. One participant said she was “heartbroken by the number of children killed in Gaza,” adding that the activists intended to continue staging further protests.