Anti-Israel demonstrations - Humboldt University predicts an increase in occupations.
Julia von Blumenthal, President of Berlin's Humboldt University, anticipates more takeovers by pro-Palestinian demonstrators at universities. She informed Der Spiegel, "We haven't been able to break the chain of occupations happening at universities. In reflection, I know that a dialogue with the occupying groups is not feasible." She expressed confidence that there'll be more occupations.
Activists supporting Palestine occupied rooms at the university on Wednesday, protesting against Israel and standing behind the Palestinians. The police cleared the building on Thursday night. The condition of the institute is devastating, according to von Blumenthal. Hamas' red triangle was found in numerous locations. The institute might be unusable for weeks or months due to the damage. "This wasn't a peaceful protest." The Institute of Social Sciences was set to provide a space for dialogue, but von Blumenthal discovered that it was a gamble. "Now that I'm aware of the extent of the property damage, it's evident that we can't take this risk" anymore.
The fundamental question at hand is "did we take on too much risk?" Von Blumenthal remarked to Der Spiegel, "Given the opportunity, I would've handled this differently." However, she continued, "What would've happened if we didn't make room for discussions? I aimed to prevent tensions between pro-Israeli students and pro-Palestinian students from escalating, but we didn't manage to achieve that."
The four-hour conversation on Thursday afternoon unraveled amidst a heated atmosphere both inside and outside the room. The moderator did help them to listen to one another. While the situation outside the door deteriorated and seemed likely to worsen, there were no deliberations on whether the institute would be evacuated in the discussions with the Senate. "We only discussed the timing," von Blumenthal shared with Der Spiegel. According to the police, 169 individuals responsible for the squatting were identified. In turn, 25 criminal investigations were launched.
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Source: www.stern.de