Pro-Palestinian Camp on Moorweide: Court Confirms Location Despite Objections
Hamburg, May 10 – A planned pro-Palestinian protest camp is now permitted to take place on Hamburg’s Moorweide. The Higher Administrative Court confirmed a decision by the Hamburg Administrative Court in an urgent ruling on Friday evening, according to a court spokesperson. The first activists began setting up the camp on the large lawn on Saturday morning, with initial program points including workshops and discussions on war and rearmament, attended by approximately 70 people.
Jewish Community Raises Concerns Over Choice of Location
The selection of Moorweide as the protest site has caused significant concern within the Jewish community. In an open letter, they protested against the camp, stating that Moorweide is not an arbitrary public space, but rather the location from which approximately 6,000 Jews, Sinti, and Roma were deported during the Holocaust. On Wednesday evening, a police spokesperson announced that the camp would be relocated to Sternschanzenpark following these protests. However, the organizers took legal action and have now been granted permission to proceed with their original plan.
Organizers Emphasize Peaceful Intent and Previous Precedent
“We are happy to announce that we were successful in court and the camp will take place as planned on Moorweide,” one of the organizers informed NDR on Thursday evening after an initial favorable decision regarding the Moorweide location. The organizers of the pro-Palestinian protest camp, “Bridges of Resistance,” had appealed against the relocation to the Administrative Court. They expressed their desire to establish the camp on Moorweide, where a similar camp had been held two years prior. The organizers stated, “Our protest camp is not a provocation and certainly not a questioning of Jewish remembrance.”
Court Upholds Freedom of Assembly, Rejects Relocation
The Hamburg Administrative Court largely granted the organizers’ urgent application, overturning two key conditions: the relocation of the assembly to Sternschanzenpark and the prohibition of an information stand without the Altona district office’s permission. Another condition, the prohibition of a medical tent without permission, remained in effect. The court’s reasoning stated, “A general radical or extremist attitude of the organizer or leader is legally irrelevant for the risk prognosis, as long as it does not manifest itself in concrete, assembly-related actions endangering legal goods.” During cooperative discussions with the police, the organizers explicitly declared that there was no intention to question Israel’s right to exist or to relativize the Holocaust. The Higher Administrative Court’s decision on Friday confirmed the lower court’s ruling.
Verfassungsschutz Monitors Some Organizers
According to the Jewish community, some of the organizers include groups that hold antisemitic views, such as “Thawra! Hamburg.” This group is reportedly under observation by authorities, as stated in the Hamburg Verfassungsschutz (Office for the Protection of the Constitution) report. Philipp Stricharz, the chairman of the Jewish community, criticized that the camp would question Israel’s right to exist and spread hatred against Jews. To prevent future camps on Moorweide, the Jewish community wishes for the city to permanently recognize the site as a protected memorial.
Ongoing Debate: Moorweide or Schanzenpark?
The debate surrounding the location of the pro-Palestinian protest camp, whether Moorweide or Schanzenpark, has been a significant point of contention. The authorities initially sought to relocate the camp to Schanzenpark, but the organizers successfully challenged this decision in court. This issue has been covered extensively, including a 14-minute segment on NDR discussing the dispute.
Historical Context: The Holocaust and Moorweide’s Significance
The Holocaust, the genocide of over six million Jews during the Nazi era, is commemorated annually on January 27. Moorweide holds particular significance as a deportation site during this dark period of history, making the Jewish community’s concerns about its use for a protest camp particularly poignant.
Further News from Hamburg
In other news from Hamburg, the Hafengeburtstag (Harbor Birthday) 2026 featured a tugboat ballet, stage shows, and fireworks. The tugboats performed pirouettes to waltz and film music at the Landungsbrücken, with a live show on the Elbe and a grand fireworks display marking another highlight. In sports, FC St. Pauli suffered their 19th seasonal defeat against RB Leipzig, despite an improved performance, putting them closer to Bundesliga relegation. The A7 motorway near Hamburg and the Elbtunnel in the southbound direction were closed until Sunday evening between Hamburg-Stellingen and -Heimfeld, causing traffic disruptions and congestion on Saturday. The HSV women’s team missed early class retention after a bitter, though deserved, defeat against 1. FC Köln, but their chances of remaining in the Bundesliga are still good.
