Freie Universität Berlin opposes antisemitism in any and all forms. There is no place for antisemitism at Freie Universität Berlin, nor for any kind of discrimination based on a person’s nationality, ethnicity, religion, beliefs, social background, age, disability or health condition, gender, or sexual orientation. Like all of Berlin’s universities and colleges, Freie Universität is an institution that fosters a culture based on democratic values, provides space for dialogue, and welcomes diversity. As a member of the State Conference of the Rectors and Presidents of the Higher Education Institutions in Berlin (LKRP), the university has made this clear.

On December 5, 2023, the members of Freie Universität’s Executive Board sent an email to the entire university, in which they emphasized the importance of upholding a campus culture founded on mutual respect, open dialogue, and responsibility.

Freie Universität Berlin encourages students and other university members to engage with socially relevant issues and partake in critical debates about such topics, as long as doing so remains within the parameters of the law. To this end, Freie Universität Berlin offers a variety of resources, from contact persons, to debate forums, to committees. However, it does not consider occupying university spaces as a suitable means of communication or protest. These spaces are meant to be used for conducting the regular appointed tasks of a university in the areas of teaching and research.

The occupation of the lecture hall on December 14 began at 11:30 a.m., at which point only a handful of students were in attendance. The participants expressed various demands to the university. They were instructed to leave the premises by 4:00 p.m. Some participants chose not to comply, thereby prompting the university to invoke its right to have individuals removed from university property around 4:00 p.m. The university management filed a criminal complaint for trespassing and evacuated the premises with police assistance. The lecture hall was vacated by about 6:00 p.m. Two classes scheduled to take place in the lecture hall that day had to be relocated due to these events.

There were a few altercations between individuals participating in the pro-Palestinian protest and individuals who were there criticizing the event. That is why the university called the police. Representatives of both groups filed criminal charges. The claims circulating in the media that people were not allowed to enter the lecture hall based on their religion or nationality are not accurate.

Additional information can be found in the FAQs on this topic – Taking a Stand against Hate and Discrimination at Freie Universität Berlin (additional updates to come):

https://www.fu-berlin.de/en/sites/diversity/antidiskriminierung/faq-gegen-hass-und-diskriminierung/index.html

University-wide email from the members of Freie Universität Berlin’s Executive Board on December 5, 2023.

https://www.fu-berlin.de/einrichtungen/praesidium/aktuelles/20231208-Mailing-Praesidium.pdf

Official statement from November 6, 2023, issued by the LKRP (the State Conference of the Rectors and Presidents of the Higher Education Institutions in Berlin is made up of eleven state universities, colleges, and art schools as well as both church-affiliated universities of applied sciences in the capital)

https://www.lkrp-berlin.de/aktuelles/231106-kein-platz-fuer-antisemitismus/

Inquiries may be sent to:

Office of Communication and Marketing at Freie Universität Berlin, Email: presse@fu-berlin.de, Tel.: +49 30 838-73180