German courts allow anti-Israel protest camp at Holocaust deportation site in Hamburg

The courts ruled that city authorities and police had not provided sufficient legal grounds to prohibit or relocate the encampment.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel

German courts ruled that anti-Israel activists could continue holding a multi-day “Bridges of Resistance” encampment at Hamburg’s Moorweide square, a site used during the Holocaust as a deportation point for thousands of Jews, Sinti, and Roma.

The decisions by the Hamburg Administrative Court on May 7 and the Higher Administrative Court on May 8 drew criticism from local officials and Jewish community leaders, who said the encampment was offensive to the memory of Holocaust victims.

Moorweide, located near Hamburg’s Dammtor train station, served as a gathering point for approximately 6,000 Jews, Sinti, and Roma before their deportation to concentration and extermination camps during the Nazi era. A memorial stone now marks the site.

The courts ruled that city authorities and police had not provided sufficient legal grounds to prohibit or relocate the encampment.

Organizers of the protest said the location was intentionally chosen to highlight what they described as historical “continuities,” including Germany’s support for Israel and arms exports passing through Hamburg.

The rulings sparked backlash from Jewish organizations and religious leaders in Hamburg.

Hamburg Chief Rabbi Shlomo Bistritzky and other Jewish community representatives expressed concern about what they described as a hostile atmosphere surrounding the encampment and said the demonstration disrespected the dignity of Holocaust victims.

Local Jewish organizations also issued open letters calling on political leaders to formally designate the entire Moorweide area as a protected memorial site in order to prevent future political demonstrations there.

The Hamburg decisions contrasted with a separate court ruling in Weimar involving demonstrations at the Buchenwald concentration camp memorial.

In that case, a court upheld a police ban blocking an anti-Israel protest at the Buchenwald memorial site. Judges ruled that political demonstrations at the former concentration camp would violate the dignity of Holocaust victims.

The differing rulings highlighted continuing legal and political disputes in Germany over protests connected to Israel, Holocaust memorial sites, and public demonstrations tied to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

The “Bridges of Resistance” encampment remained in place following the Hamburg court decisions.