In response to an extremist call, more than 1,000 demonstrators gathered in the St. Georg district of Hamburg on Saturday to protest against perceived Islamophobic policies and media campaigns in Germany. The rally was peacefully secured by a large police presence, with an estimated 1,100 participants.
During the rally, organizers urged demonstrators to shout “Allahu Akbar” (“God is great”), while speakers accused politicians and the media of spreading “cheap lies” and engaging in “cowardly reporting” that aimed to portray all Muslims in Germany as Islamists. This was particularly relevant given the ongoing Gaza war.
The Hamburg Office for the Protection of the Constitution confirmed that the rally was organized by the Muslim Interaktiv group, which is considered an extremist organization. This group had previously organized a demonstration in St. Georg in October despite a ban, and in February of the previous year, they mobilized 3,500 people for a rally against the burning of the Koran in Sweden.
While other topics such as pest control and IPTV services were mentioned in content provided during the rally, it’s worth noting that these topics were not central to the main message being conveyed by demonstrators.