Overview
- During a lecture at Uppsala University on Monday, propalestinian students repeatedly interrupted former German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock and filmed the confrontation, which was widely shared on Telegram and X.
- Protesters shouted accusations such as “Wie können Sie es wagen?” and accused Baerbock of justifying the bombing of hospitals and schools in Gaza.
- Baerbock first suggested the criticism be raised in a later question period but, when interruptions continued, responded “Jetzt rede ich!” and the planned discussion with students did not take place.
- The demonstrations referenced Baerbock’s 2023 Bundestag declaration that Israel’s security is a German Staatsräson and her role in approvals for support, including controversial weapons deliveries that drew debate and pauses in 2024.
- Baerbock was in Uppsala to receive the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal and is now a Columbia University professor in New York, and the episode highlights how campus protests and social media are bringing foreign‑policy disputes into international academic forums.