Germany police roughly detain pro-Palestinian activists
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Police units clashed with anti-war activists in Berlin after a pro-Palestinian demonstration attempted to block all vehicular access to a major factory owned by German defense contractor Rheinmetall.
The sit-in was organized as part of a weeklong pressure campaign calling for an immediate end to European military assistance to 'Israel'.
The protest converged on the industrial sector of Berlin's Wedding district, where activists associated with the campaign group "Peacefully Against Genocide" sat directly in the path of oncoming traffic.
In an effort to establish a permanent roadblock outside the facility gates, several individuals attempted to glue themselves to the pavement.
Berlin police units moved in to clear the non-permitted assembly, deploying pepper spray and tactical physical force to dislodge the activists from the roadway.
The targeted Rheinmetall complex has recently drawn intense scrutiny from local human rights networks.
Once primarily dedicated to civilian manufacturing and the supply of commercial automotive parts, the factory has been systematically repurposed since last summer.
It now plays an active role in fabricating specialized components for heavy artillery ammunition.
Demonstrators have accused both the executive board of Rheinmetall and the German federal government of structural complicity in the war in Gaza by maintaining ongoing military export licenses to 'Israel'.
In addition to an immediate embargo on foreign ammunition shipments, the activist group is demanding that the company permanently decommission the Berlin-based production plant.
