Spore hosts: Time to Talk: State Power and Police Violence

A critical discussion about German state power, and its mechanisms and functions in times of crisis

24. January 2025
19.00-22.00

Save the Date

For free

for adults

in German

Since the 7th of October 2023 - the Hamas attack on Israel and the Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip - parallel to the events in the Middle East, the situation in Germany has become increasingly critical. The protest movement in solidarity with Palestine has been confronted with a wide range of repressive measures: demonstrations are restricted or outright prohibited; events are broken up or canceled; people are temporarily arrested, or have their activities and movements limited; houses are searched, and the police use massive force.

Attempts by politicians to influence state action in favor of unconditional solidarity with Israel make the work of legal experts and security forces even more difficult. Slogans are being forbidden by the Ministry of the Interior and in some places re-admitted by the courts, revealing great institutional uncertainty. Is Germany's police the enforcer of a misconceived 'Staatsräson'? Or are they the necessary spearhead in the fight against militant anti-Semitism?

 
Dialogue hardly seems possible anymore. The despair and anger over the crimes in Gaza are too powerful, the restrictions on civil liberties too fundamental, the trust in the German state too low when it comes to Israel and Palestine. How reasonable and necessary are the various state and police measures? What roles do racism and stereotypes play? And how can we find a way to enable people in Germany to protest safely and restore their trust in the police, administration and the justice system?

Participants: Alexander Gorski, Uli Grötsch, Kristin Helberg (moderator), Jara Nassar and Prof. Dr. Tobias Singelnstein

This event is part of the Zeit zu reden series.

Photo Credit: Tagesschau.de "Bundesregierung plant Rassismus-Studie bei der Polizei"