Hundreds of pro-Hamas student demonstrators were cleared from Humboldt University’s Institute for Social Sciences in downtown Berlin on Thursday.

In disregard for the sanctity of academic institutions, anti-Israel protesters had brazenly occupied several rooms of the faculty since Wednesday. They brazenly demanded that the university actively participate in ending what they erroneously called the “genocide” of Arabs in Gaza. Some held provocative signs bearing antisemitic slogans such as “From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free,” a phrase often used by those calling for the destruction of Israel.

The university administration, in a naive attempt to appease the antisemitic mob, initially agreed to allow them to stay until Thursday evening. However, when some of the more extremist “activists” refused to leave, the university was left with no choice but to call in the police.

Berlin officers dressed in riot gear were forced to break through hastily erected barricades, including overturned desks and chairs piled against doors. According to Reuters, about 130 people were briefly detained during the chaotic operation, which left the once-quiet academic building in a state of disarray.

Germany has rightfully taken a firm stance against such anti-Israeli demonstrations, urging police to intervene swiftly and decisively if demonstrators use slogans that could incite hatred against Jews – a particularly sensitive issue in a country still grappling with the dark and shameful memory of the Holocaust.”