A Berlin court on Tuesday convicted a 22-year-old woman for chanting the controversial slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” just days after the October 7 attacks on Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
The Tiergarten District Court fined the woman €600 ($655) for “condoning a criminal offense” by using the phrase during a demonstration in Berlin’s Neukölln district on October 11.
The judge explained that using the slogan so soon after the October 7 attacks effectively amounted to an endorsement of the atrocities and a denial of Israel’s right to exist.
The slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” calls for the creation of a Palestinian state between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, where the state of Israel is located.
It has been widely interpreted by Jewish communities and others as a call for the destruction of the state of Israel. German police have attempted to clamp down on the use of the phrase, which Israel has described as anti-Semitic.
“The intention was to condone the massacre,” the judge added, calling the slogan an “incitement” that would disturb public order.
The case came before the court after the suspect appealed against a penalty notice she had received on the day of the demonstration, which she was present at along with about 60 other demonstrators.
The suspect said she is committed to fighting racism and anti-Semitism and that she supports “an end to violence.”
Her defense lawyers argued for acquittal, saying the slogan was “ambiguous” and denying any ties to Hamas.
The public prosecutor had demanded a fine of €900.
