Criticism of the Ashura demo in Berlin: Children used in scenic representation

A demonstration on the occasion of the Shiite festival of Ashura in Berlin-Mitte has sparked criticism. Children were included in a dramatic depiction of the historical abduction of women and children, which was immediately prohibited by the police.

The police reported that children were tied together in the depiction at temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius. The police leader stopped the presentation immediately after he found out about the action. The leader of the meeting then ended the “play”.

The Jewish Forum for Democracy and Against Anti-Semitism (JFDA) published a compilation of images and videos showing at least three children wearing long, green clothing with ropes between them. They followed a man dressed entirely in yellow.

The gathering, called the Ashura March in solidarity with oppressed people worldwide, was peaceful but controversial. Interior Senator Iris Spranger (SPD) criticized the inclusion of children in the depiction as “unacceptable” and emphasized that this posed a threat to the child’s well-being.

Thousands took part in Ashura celebrations around the world. In Lebanon, thousands gathered in the southern suburbs of Beirut to commemorate the death of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in 2024.