Pressure
Since October 2023, Berlin has become a central site of pressure surrounding the Pro-Palestine movement and the German state’s escalating repression of it. As the European city with the largest Palestinian diaspora, Berlin emerged as a major hub of solidarity during Israel’s ongoing genocide on Gaza under Netanyahu’s government. Tens of thousands of civilians have marched through the city, confronting a state apparatus determined to enforce its Staatsräson—Germany’s declared reason of state—which entails unconditional political, military, and diplomatic support for Israel.
The German government has articulated this position clearly, providing weapons, media backing, and legal defense, including its intervention at the International Court of Justice against charges of genocide brought against Israel. On the streets, this stance has translated into an increasingly violent crackdown on dissent. Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have been met with systematic violations of human rights, restrictions on democratic freedoms, and excessive use of police force, disproportionately targeting BIPOC protesters and women.
The work traces a wide range of demonstrations, sit-ins, and university occupations, all sharing a common denominator: repression through police violence, surveillance, and mass arrests for chanting slogans or merely being present at legally sanctioned protests. Since October 2023, legal organizations estimate roughly 17,000 arrests related to Palestine protests in Berlin alone—signaling a dangerous authoritarian shift and the normalization of fascistic practices across Europe.
Pressure refers to the tension between citizens and the state, bodies pushed tightly together in public space. The body becomes the site where democratic struggle unfolds, where individuals risk their safety and freedom in refusal to remain complicit in genocide. While the work foregrounds state violence, it equally emphasizes civilian steadfastness—an awareness that what is at stake is not only Palestine, but the preservation of personal freedom and resistance to the resurgence of legitimized fascism.