Overview

• The Emil-Fischer lecture hall at Humboldt University was occupied by pro-Palestinian activists on April 16, 2025, in protest of deportation orders for four activists known as the 'Berlin 4.'
• The university presidium requested police intervention after documenting vandalism, including antisemitic slogans and Hamas-related symbols inside the building.
• Approximately 300 police officers cleared the hall using force, including ram devices, and prevented additional individuals from entering the building.
• Roughly 90 individuals were removed from the hall, their identities recorded, and criminal proceedings for trespass, vandalism, and potential hate-speech violations are underway.
• The protest has reignited debates over free speech, antisemitism, and campus security, while legal challenges to the deportation orders continue in Berlin courts.