Barbara Slowik, the head of Berlin’s police force, has admitted that some areas of the German capital are unsafe for openly gay or Jewish individuals. Speaking to Berliner Zeitung, Slowik acknowledged: “There are areas, and we need to be honest here, where I would advise people who wear a kippah or are openly gay or lesbian to be more careful.”
Slowik explained that certain neighbourhoods, predominantly inhabited by people of Arab descent, often exhibit open anti-Semitism and homophobia. These areas, she suggested, are influenced by sympathies for extremist groups. “Unfortunately, open anti-Semitism is displayed towards people of Jewish faith and origin in these areas,” she said.
Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict on 7 October 2023, Berlin police have launched over 6,200 investigations, most of which relate to online hate speech or anti-Semitic graffiti. Around 1,300 cases involve violent incidents, although Slowik clarified that most of these were attacks on police officers during protests against Israel. She noted that while violent crimes against Jewish individuals remain relatively low, even a single incident is one too many. “I understand the fear and concern that persist,” she added.
The police chief’s remarks follow a disturbing attack on the youth football team Makkabi Berlin, which had to be placed under police protection. The team, comprised of 13 to 16-year-olds, was assaulted by a mob armed with sticks and knives after a match in the Neukölln neighbourhood, an area with a significant Arab and Turkish population. Witnesses reported the attackers shouting “Free Palestine” and anti-Semitic slurs, with some carrying knives and threatening the players.
This incident is one of several targeting Jewish individuals in Berlin in recent weeks. Earlier this month, a fan of Makkabi Berlin was hospitalised after being punched in the face by a man in a café who asked if he was Jewish upon seeing the club’s Star of David-emblazoned scarf.
Makkabi Berlin, founded in the 1970s by Holocaust survivors, was the first Jewish sports club established in the German capital after the Second World War. Investigations into the latest incidents are underway, with the club expressing outrage and the opposition team vowing to identify and expel those involved.
Social Media reactions
Social media users have expressed strong reactions to Berlin Police Chief Barbara Slowik’s recent comments advising Jews and openly gay individuals to exercise caution in certain areas of the city.
Rising Racial Tensions Across Europe
The rise in racial and religious tensions is not unique to Germany. Across Europe, communities face increasing divisions amid debates over immigration, cultural integration, and extremist ideologies. In France, ongoing struggles with anti-Semitism and Islamophobia have sparked frequent clashes, with Jewish and Muslim communities reporting widespread discrimination and violence. In the Netherlands, tensions have flared over protests against Israel and Palestine, while far-right groups have targeted immigrant communities. These divisions, often exacerbated by inflammatory rhetoric and social media, underscore a broader crisis in multicultural societies struggling to reconcile diversity with rising nationalism and polarisation.