Fear, grief, anguish on Berlin’s ‘Arab Street’ as Israel levels Gaza
Al Jazeera
In a neighbourhood beloved by diaspora communities, tensions rise after alleged police crackdowns on pro-Palestine rallies.
Names marked with an asterisk have been changed to protect identities.
Berlin, Germany – It is a grey and drizzly mid-morning on Sonnenallee, commonly known as Berlin’s “Arab Street”.
Since late last year, large-scale protests have erupted here, in the German capital’s borough of Neukoelln, and they have allegedly been followed by police crackdowns described by pro-Palestinian demonstrators as shocking and violent.
Locals Francesca Leone, 31, and 27-year-old Lea* have been joining the thousands across Germany taking to the streets regularly since October 7, when the latest escalation of the Israel-Palestine conflict began, to call for Palestinian rights and urge Germany to reconsider its unflinching support of Israel.
Lea, who arrived in Germany in 2015 seeking refuge from Syria, said she was arrested at a demonstration recently. She asked Al Jazeera to withhold her real name out of fears her employer might take action against her.
