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LAST UPDATE | 30 Aug
THE IRISH AMBASSADOR in Berlin and senior officials in the Department of Foreign Affairs have “conveyed [their] concern” to the German authorities about an incident in which an Irish activist was punched in the face by police officers during a pro-Palestine protest in the city.
“Officials in the Department stand ready to provide consular assistance to the citizen concerned, should they request it,” the Department said.
Police in Berlin have referred the incident to their watchdog.
Footage of the incident shows Kitty O’Brien, a Dublin native, being hit twice during the protest on Rosenthaler Straße in the German capital shortly after 6pm on Thursday.
Polizei Berlin said in a statement it has reported the incident to its police watchdog, Directorate for Police Offenses at the Berlin State Criminal Police Office, “to determine whether any aspects of the police response may be disproportionate or of criminal relevance”.
The protest was an impromptu gathering against the killing of journalists in Gaza, following calls by several pro-Palestine campaigns for people to “flood the streets” from 6pm.
Hundreds of police officers attended the scene, where tensions quickly escalated with protesters.
In footage reviewed by The Journal, O’Brien can be seen at the front of the protest, declaring that those in attendance are “not afraid” of the police.
A police officer can be seen punching O’Brien in the face. The same officer can then be seen striking O’Brien a second time.
O’Brien can be seen raising blood-covered hands to police, saying “their blood is on your hands.”
Police can then be seen moving towards O’Brien and grabbing their arms, with one officer wrapping his arm around O’Brien’s head.
They then removed O’Brien from the location of the protest, walking her along while holding the Irish activist’s left arm in a raised position. She was taken into custody.
The heavy-handed police response to the protest prompted widespread criticism on social media.
In a statement today, police said 94 people were subjected to “restraint measures” during the protest.
A spokesperson added that ”a female of foreign descent” ignored repeated orders to disperse and physically resisted arrest.
Officers said they were “compelled to use targeted strikes” before handing the activist over to medical services, with investigations now ongoing.
The spokesperson said that there is “clear evidence” of verbal insults shouted by Kitty at police, including a likening of the police to Nazis.
In footage from the protest seen by The Journal, O’Brien can be heard shouting “you are acting like a fucking Nazi, are your grandparents proud of you?”
The police said in their statement that O’Brien had failed to leave the area as directed.
Berlin police said they had deployed “several hundred officers” in the city to disperse what they described as “an unauthorised gathering linked to the Middle East conflict”.
They said around 100 people moved back and forth between two busy streets from 6pm, with some individuals showing “verbal aggression” towards officers.
“As the crowd continued to chant illegal, punishable slogans, around 80 people had to be stopped, detained, and searched,” a police spokesperson said.
“This resulted in insults, physical attacks, and acts of resistance against law enforcement officers.”
In total, police said 96 criminal investigations were initiated following the protest.
O’Brien is a member of Irish Bloc Berlin, a group formed last year in response to Israel’s ongoing assaults and blockade on Gaza. They have previously criticised what they describe as the “silencing of pro-Palestinian voices” by German authorities.
A spokesperson for Irish Bloc Berlin claimed that police officers broke Kitty’s arm.
The spokesperson told The Journal that O’Brien is in hospital in Berlin, following surgery on their arm.
The group claimed they have been “consistently targeted” by German police at pro-Palestine protests.
“The attack on Kitty is horrifying, but not shocking,” the spokesperson said.
“They do this every week, and they’re getting worse.”
“They’re targeting us because we’re Irish activists, and it’s very inconvenient for them. They like to paint these protests as typically being made up of angry Muslims and immigrants, so it’s very inconvenient for them that we are doing this,” the spokesperson added.
“However brutal this assault, it’s only a small fraction of the violent repression Palestinians are facing at the hands of Berlin police every week.”
Social Democrats Senator Patricia Stephenson called on Tánaiste and foreign affairs minister Simon Harris to raise the “brutal treatment of this Irishwoman” with the German ambassador “today”.
“This kind of treatment of a peaceful protestor is horrific and completely unacceptable – particularly in the EU, where freedom of speech and the right to protest is supposed to be protected,” Stephenson said.
“I am utterly disgusted to see the depths to which some EU countries have sunk, not only arming a genocide in Gaza – but violently suppressing those who are brave enough to speak out and peacefully protest about the slaughter.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs has said that they are aware of the incident, and are offering consular assistance.
Additional reporting by Eoghan Dalton.
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