Uproar over video from Berlin: Why is the police chasing a boy with a Palestinian flag? | Politics

Millions of people have watched this video in the past 24 hours: A boy runs across Berlin’s Breitscheidplatz with a Palestinian flag in hand, pursued by several police officers, until they catch up with him and surround him.

“Police chase young boy because he is carrying a Palestinian flag,” is a common caption on anti-Israel accounts accompanying the video, which is available from various perspectives. The footage is now also circulating in the English-speaking world, where the police officers are being insulted as “German fascists.” Even the Arabic news channel “Al Jazeera” and the Turkish news agency “Anadolu” are reporting on it.

But what is the truth behind the scenes? Was the boy really chased by the police just because he was carrying a Palestinian flag?

The Berlin police have not responded to a request from BILD, but they have denied the accusation on X (formerly Twitter): The eleven-year-old boy had “apparently participated in the demonstration at Breitscheidplatz without supervision,” where “criminal acts were committed,” according to the police press office. These acts included property damage, bodily harm, and displaying symbols of terrorist organizations. They clarified: “Due to ongoing police measures following the demonstration, the boy was taken into custody for his own protection.” They added that it was not an “arrest.” After 90 minutes, the boy was handed over to his father.

Children are Deliberately Used by Adult Israel-Haters

What the police did not mention in their statement: According to BILD information, the same eleven-year-old boy has repeatedly appeared at anti-Israel marches in Berlin, where he is deliberately used by adults to provoke and insult counter-demonstrators and police officers.

In video footage, the boy can be seen being repeatedly sent by a masked man to approach politician and lawyer Karoline Preiser (53), who often stands up to the hate-filled crowd with signs like “Rape is no resistance.” The boy runs up to Preiser and holds up a poster that personally insults her. “This child and I unfortunately meet often. He deserves a better life,” Preiser said.

Similarly, in Frankfurt, a young boy has been brought to anti-Israel demonstrations for years and is prominently showcased. Uwe Becker (54, CDU), the anti-Semitism commissioner for the Hessian state government, commented: “Children are being raised to spread hate and incitement here. This is how the next generation of Jew-haters grows. There should be a criminal offense for this type of abuse when parents or other adults indoctrinate children with anti-Semitism.”

The exploitation of children is a practice reminiscent of video clips from the Palestinian territories, where Islamist fanatics often send young boys or girls towards Israeli soldiers to create powerful images. The propaganda aim: to contrast the innocence of children with the perceived state power – casting the soldiers in a negative light.

This PR tactic is now being practiced in Germany as well, and apparently with success, as the widespread global outrage and lack of context surrounding the Berlin video demonstrate.

In total, the police state that “freedom-restricting measures were taken against 79 people” during the demonstration. The outcome: 85 criminal charges “for the use of symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organizations, assault on law enforcement officers, insult, severe breach of the peace, coercion, and property damage.” Three police officers were injured.