On March 8, International Women’s Day – a day dedicated to celebrating women’s rights – German police turned a peaceful pro-Palestinian march in Berlin into a scene of violence.

What began as a demonstration of solidarity with Palestinian women quickly descended into chaos, as officers targeted protesters, mostly women, with disproportionate force, leaving many injured and traumatised.

Witnesses reported police punching, choking, and assaulting demonstrators, with one young woman violently dragged away. A march intended to honour women’s resistance instead became a display of state repression.

“The repulsive spectacle of armoured German police brutally dispersing peaceful protesters and viciously manhandling many defenceless women in the process was an absolutely shocking spectacle, but hardly surprising,” says Kit Klarenberg, a UK-based journalist.

Klarenberg added that since the Gaza genocide erupted, similar scenes – perversely recalling attacks on enemies of the Nazis by Hitler’s brownshirts in the 1930s – have routinely played out all over Germany.

“That authorities are apparently so unconcerned about the horrendous optics of these incidents speaks volumes about their unabashed contempt for basic standards of freedom of assembly, speech, and protest, which the modern German state claims to hold so dear,” Klarenberg tells TRT World.

The march began near Wittenbergplatz metro station in Berlin, one of many held globally to mark International Women’s Day.

Protesters, many wearing keffiyehs and carrying Palestinian flags, chanted, “Stop the aggression in the West Bank – No weapons for Israel.”

The aim of the protest was clear: to call for an end to violence and advocate for peace, both in Palestine and everywhere else.

But the response from German police was anything but peaceful.

Videos from the scene showed officers surrounding protesters, shoving them to the ground, and punching them in the face with excessive force.

One young woman was violently detained, dragged to a fire station, and subjected to degrading mistreatment. Witnesses reported that officers deliberately exposed her body while restraining her.

Others were held in a detention centre and denied access to legal aid or medical care. At least one protester lost consciousness and had to be rushed to the hospital.

The violence didn’t stop there.

Multiple reports emerged of police sexually assaulting detainees – choking them, pinning them down, and groping them in ways described as deliberate and humiliating.

In the end, at least 29 people were arrested, with many demonstrators suffering injuries, including bruises, near-broken fingers, knee injuries, and facial wounds due to police aggression.

“Protesters of all ages, including anti-Zionist Jews, students, and women, have been repeated targets of excessive, wanton brute force for daring to support Palestinian liberation, and condemn the Zionist entity’s 21st-century Holocaust,” says Klarenberg.

He also notes that law enforcement demanded protesters chant only in German or English to ensure authorities could assess the “legality” of their expressions.

No space for dissent

Unlike other International Women’s Day demonstrations in Berlin, which proceeded without incident, this march was met with overwhelming police brutality from the outset.

Authorities set up barriers, forced route changes, and created obstructions to destabilise the protest.

Germany’s staunch support for Israel plays a significant role in this crackdown.

Despite growing public pressure, Berlin remains one of the strongest supporters of Israel’s war on Gaza, with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz repeatedly stating that Berlin bears special responsibility for Israel due to its Nazi history.

Throughout his tenure, Scholz has failed to condemn war crimes committed by the Israeli military or halt weapon exports to Israel.

Meanwhile, German opposition leader and likely next chancellor Friedrich Merz has openly supported Israel, stating that Israel’s security is part of Germany’s “reason of state” and labelling pro-Palestinian protests as “inherently hateful.”

However, many German citizens disagree.

On this occasion, pro-Palestinian protesters gathered peacefully to demand justice – only to face a shocking assault, not just on themselves, but on the spirit of International Women’s Day itself.

Systemic racism

This violent crackdown comes as over a dozen police officers in Germany face investigation for racism.

Last week, Hamburg police announced that 15 officers were under investigation for sharing racist, xenophobic, violent, and Nazi-glorifying messages.

Authorities searched the homes and workplaces of six active officers and the residences of three retired officers. Seven officers were suspended.

Despite this, police continue to intensify their repression of pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

Last month, Berlin officers forcibly stopped protesters from playing music and chanting Arabic slogans against Israel during a rally.

Police announced from a vehicle that chanting in Arabic or giving speeches was prohibited, declaring the demonstration over due to this “violation.” Numerous protesters were detained.

The March 8 assault and the preceding incidents are just some of many examples of heavy-handed policing against pro-Palestinian activists. Videos posted on social media show officers violently throwing protesters to the ground, repeatedly beating them, and punching them in the head or face.

Klarenberg believes Germany's assaults on protesters will likely grow “ever-more barbaric” from here, but he sees this escalation as “a sign of weakness and fear among European elites.”

“History shows when power structures are threatened, they respond by ratcheting up violence, repression, censorship, and other autocratic tactics. There are more of us than them, and there’s only so much the masses can take. They come at us because we are strong, and public dissent grows in volume and force with each crackdown,” Klarenberg explains.