Demo day in Connewitz: tensions and threats worry the politician!

Demo day in Connewitz: tensions and threats worry the politician!

Today, January 18, 2026, a meeting of various groups took place at the Connewitzer Kreuz in Leipzig. The officers had set up a so-called “barrier forest” that extended into the side streets to separate the different demonstrators. During the meeting there was a competition over music volume between the participating groups, but so far the situation has been peaceful. Nevertheless, the left-wing politician Juliane Nagel expressed concerns about the upcoming demo day and reported a tense mood in social networks. This growing unrest is particularly motivated by the pro-Palestinian demonstration, which is accompanied by lies and insinuations, including against Nagel himself.

Nagel is exposed to strong accusations, which she describes as a “dissolution of boundaries” among people active in social networks who describe themselves as left-wing. Particularly alarming are the anti-Semitic threats that were made, including the statement about wanting to “hunt” Jewish people through the neighborhood. This development warns of a worrying trend that is emerging there and is also affecting other cities in Germany.

Anti-Semitism at demonstrations

The situation in Leipzig is not isolated. Similar pro-Palestinian and sometimes anti-Semitic demonstrations take place regularly in Berlin. Loud daily news Human rights activist and Imam Seyran Ateş expresses concern about the increasing anti-Semitic climate. Berlin's Interior Senator Iris Spranger warns of further radicalization and emphasizes the need to take measures against these developments. Police reports report increasingly frequent anti-Semitic incidents at demonstrations, in universities and on the streets.

According to a recent police tally, a pro-Palestinian march entitled “Stop the Genocide in Gaza” was observed, to which there were two pro-Israel counter-events. According to the authorities, various crimes were committed, behind which there is a core of “multiple perpetrators” who regularly attract attention at these demonstrations. The police estimate that there were in the mid to high double-digit range of violent people among the participants. In addition, participation in the demonstrations is declining overall, as the number of participants rarely exceeds the thousand mark.

Connection between subcultures and anti-Semitism

Another focus is on the composition of the participants, who are recruited from different scenes - from left-wing and left-wing extremist groups to feminists, queer activists and Islamists. Ateş particularly criticizes the connection between the LGBTQ community and the pro-Palestinian demonstrations. She emphasizes that the lived violence and hatred of Jews find a worrying expression in certain subcultures and calls for a critical examination of the underlying problems.

Current developments show that this problem represents an increasing challenge not only in Leipzig, but nationwide. Both the municipalities and the groups involved are faced with the task of seeking dialogue and resolutely countering radical trends.