Germany's Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger has lashed out at a letter of support from around 100 educators at Berlin universities in favour of pro-Palestinian demonstrators.
"This statement from educators at Berlin universities is staggering. Instead of taking a clear stand against hatred of Israel and Jews, university occupiers are being turned into the victims and violence trivialized," she told Germany's tabloid Bild newspaper in remarks published on Thursday.
On Tuesday, around 150 activists attempted to occupy a courtyard and set up tents at Berlin's Free University. The school quickly called in the police and had the area cleared.
The police reported on Wednesday that 79 people had been temporarily detained, including 49 women and 30 men, and that 80 criminal investigations and 79 misdemeanours proceedings had been initiated.
In a declaration titled "Statement from Lecturers at Berlin Universities," around 100 lecturers from several Berlin universities wrote: "Regardless of whether we agree with the specific demands of the protest camp, we stand with our students and defend their right to peaceful protest.
"We call on the Berlin university management to refrain from police operations against their own students as well as from further criminal prosecution," the statement continued.
Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner backed Stark-Watzinger.
"I have absolutely no sympathy for the authors of this pamphlet," the mayor, who is from the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, told Bild. Stark-Watzinger is a member of the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP).
Berlin universities are and will remain places of knowledge, critical discourse and open exchange, Wegner said, "However, anti-Semitism and hatred of Israel are not expressions of opinion, but criminal offences."
