Six pro-Palestinian Arab activists were arrested in Berlin on Thursday after climbing the iconic Brandenburg Gate and unfurling a banner reading “Never again genocide - freedom for Palestine”, AFP reported.
The incident occurred at noon, when the group arrived at the tourist-heavy square in a rented cherry-picker truck. Three activists ascended the 26-meter-high monument while the others locked themselves inside the vehicle.
Berlin police spokesperson Florian Nath said officers arrived within minutes but did not stop the lift mid-ascent due to safety concerns. “It happened very quickly,” Nath explained. “The basket was already on its way up, and we didn’t stop it then because it’s too dangerous in case something happens or people fall out.”
Once atop the gate, the activists lit flares and shouted slogans. Police forcibly removed the three activists inside the truck by smashing a window. A special rescue team climbed the structure to detain the remaining protesters, completing the operation in roughly 90 minutes.
All six individuals were taken into custody on suspicion of trespassing and other violations. Authorities are investigating whether the cherry-picker caused damage to the historic 18th-century monument.
The incident comes a week after a 31-year-old man was arrested in the central German city of Hanau after painting swastikas with his own blood on dozens of cars, mailboxes, and buildings.
In September, a top-ranked pizzeria located in Fürth, Bavaria, ignited controversy after banning Israelis from its premises, citing the war in Gaza.
A week prior, a small specialty shop in Flensburg, Germany, came under fire after its owner displayed a sign that read: “Jews are banned from here! Nothing personal. No antisemitism. Just can't stand you.”
Israel's Ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor, drew a direct parallel to the Nazi era in a post on X, writing, "The 1930s are back! In Flensburg, 'No Jews allowed' signs are hanging in shop windows again-in 2025. Just like back then in the streets, cafés, and shops of the 1930s."