In the middle of the coalition negotiations with the SPD and the Greens, the Left is once again criticized for its handling of the radical pro-Palestine scene.
As “Spiegel” now reports, the left-wing politician Katharina Marg, who was recently elected to the Berlin House of Representatives, was present in front of a police building at the end of October when there was a protest against the deportation of two Palestinians who were known to the police.
WELT also has video recordings of a meeting in front of the prisoner collection point at Tempelhofer Damm in Berlin. A group of men and women - many of them wearing Palestinian scarves - cheered the release of the two Barbakh members after a judge rejected a request for deportation detention.
The men are said to be two members of the Barbakh family, 22 and 35 years old. According to “Spiegel”, both are said to have repeatedly attracted attention in connection with pro-Palestinian demonstrations. According to the research, she was investigated on suspicion of attacks on police officers, grievous bodily harm, particularly serious breaches of the peace and incitement, among other things. According to the magazine, however, there were no charges. The men should not have a criminal record.
The Barbakh family is considered an influential extended family in the Gaza Strip. After Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, the influx of relatives to Germany is said to have increased. At least 130 relatives are now said to be living in Berlin. According to research by the “Tagesspiegel”, security authorities classify a double-digit number of them as security-relevant, primarily because of incidents in connection with pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
A member of the Barbakh family is also considered an influential player in the pro-Palestinian scene on social media. What also made headlines was that some members - including the pro-Palestinian Hamas sympathizer Ibrahim Ibrahim - attended a Left Party election party in Berlin-Neukölln.
According to the report, the two men who were now to be deported came to Germany via Greece in 2022 and 2023 and applied for asylum here. However, they had previously received protection status in Greece. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees therefore rejected their asylum applications in Germany. They were supposed to be deported back to Greece at the end of October. That's why they were arrested by the German police.
When a judge was supposed to decide on the requested custody of the two men before the planned deportation, around 60 supporters gathered in front of a Berlin police building and protested against it. A demonstration in front of the building had previously been called for via social media. The call said that “two Palestinians from Gaza” had been arrested on Sonnenallee. One of them is in critical health condition. Marg is said to have been among those present. However, she cannot be seen in the photos available to WELT.
When asked by “Spiegel”, the left-wing politician and Islamic scholar confirmed her presence, but emphasized that she had taken part in the hearing as a “parliamentary observer”. She was not aware of any police information about the two men at the time. “Regardless of this, constitutional principles must apply to all those affected in such proceedings,” Marg is quoted by “Spiegel”. The aim of their observation was to be able to assess this.
The judge ultimately denied deportation custody for both men. There was a formal error in the asylum procedure for the 22-year-old. It is said that the 35-year-old was not fit to be held due to a “depressive crisis”. Both men were subsequently released. They are said to have been greeted with cheers by supporters in front of the police building; one of them was carried on his shoulders through the crowd.
According to “Spiegel”, the authorities intend to appeal against the decisions. The domestic policy spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group, Sebastian Fiedler, criticized Marg's behavior. The case shows once again “which milieus the left is committed to”. The Berlin state chairman of the police union, Stephan Weh, also expressed criticism of the left-wing politician's participation.
