TÁNAISTE SIMON HARRIS has confirmed that German authorities are investigating an incident in which an Irish activist was punched in the face by police officers during a pro-Palestine protest in the city.

Footage of the incident shows Kitty O’Brien, a Dublin native, being hit twice during the protest on Rosenthaler Straße in the German capital on 28 August.  

The incident and the heavy-handed police response to the protest prompted widespread criticism on social media.

On 29 August, the Irish ambassador to Berlin and senior officials in the Department of Foreign Affairs conveyed their “concern” about the incident to the German authorities. 

In a parliamentary question on Monday, Sinn Féin’s Eoin Ó Broin asked the Tánaiste if he would raise the matter with his German counterpart. 

Responding, Harris said the Irish ambassador and his officials “conveyed my concern about the incident and asked the German authorities to investigate further”.

I am glad to report that the German authorities have confirmed that the matter is being taken very seriously.

It is being investigated by the relevant bodies and a process is underway,” the Fine Gael leader said. 

“I can further confirm that officials in my Department, including in our Embassy in Berlin, are providing consular assistance in this case.

“As with all consular cases, it would not be appropriate for me to comment further on the details of this individual case.”

In a statement following the incident, German police said 94 people were subjected to “restraint measures” during the protest.

A spokesperson said 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.

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 to The Journal that police officers broke O’Brien’s arm and that they needed surgery as a result. 

The group claimed they have been “consistently targeted” by German police at pro-Palestine protests and that they are “getting worse”.