As the internal assessment of the incident continues, employees who were present in the Präsidium building on Thursday, October 17, 2024, have shared depictions of the events they witnessed in detailed reports. The university is compiling these reports and will present a final report to the police. 

According to these reports, university employees were commanded to leave their offices under threat of violence. Some commands were given in difficult-to-understand English, while others were shouted in German, even when the employees responded in English. Several employees who refused to leave were physically attacked. The aggressors  attempted to violently force open office doors that staff had locked to protect themselves. Employees found it particularly distressing that there was no way of knowing what the aggressors’ intention was in storming the building.

The reports share a through line: the event was perceived as a violent attack, not merely an attempted occupation.

Addendum to the Statement (October 18, 2024)

The statement from Thursday, October 17, 2024, still reflects the state of affairs. However, the following additional information should also be taken into account:

Multiple Freie Universität employees witnessed around forty masked individuals attempting to violently take over the Präsidium building at midday on October 17, 2024. Most of the aggressors fled when the police arrived.

The police intervened and quickly put an end to the attempted occupation. The individuals attempting to occupy the university building were extremely aggressive, threatening employees verbally, and resorting to physical violence. 

There is currently no information regarding the aggressors’ affiliation with any specific group, and it is unclear if Freie Universität students were involved.

The police were called as soon as it became known that a violent attempt to seize the building was underway. Officers arrived on the scene within about ten minutes. At the time of the attack, approximately sixty university employees were inside. Some managed to escape, while others remained locked in their offices. The entire ordeal lasted around forty-five minutes before all employees were able to exit the building.

Many of the employees involved are still processing the event and are unable to return to work. Psychological support has been made available to all employees through the university’s counseling services. Staff from “support.points” provided immediate assistance on the day of the attack. The university leadership is granting employees time to recover from the traumatic experience.

“This was an absolute violation of boundaries, and we condemn these violent acts in the strongest possible terms. We see this as an attack on Freie Universität Berlin and our offer to engage in a dialogue together about this difficult and important issue,” said the university’s president, Professor Günter M. Ziegler. “Our primary responsibility now is to support university employees and others impacted by today’s events and to ensure their safety and protection.”

The vandalism committed by the aggressors caused significant property damage to the historic building. Rooms were wrecked; IT-infrastructure and hardware was destroyed; and slogans along with the Hamas triangle symbol were spray-painted on the walls of the building.

The full extent of the damage is still being assessed. The graffiti on the facade and the door of the building’s main entrance was removed by Freie Universität Berlin’s own technical specialists on the evening of the attack. The graffiti inside the building was also immediately removed or painted over as much as possible.

The leadership of Freie Universität Berlin is currently evaluating measures to enhance safety for employees and students. At the same time, a university is an open place and must remain so. That is the very nature of universities – especially Freie Universität Berlin.

Statement by Freie Universität Berlin Regarding the Attempted Occupation of the Präsidium Building on Campus

On Thursday, October 17, 2024, around midday, at least forty individuals attempted to occupy the Präsidium Building on the campus of Freie Universität Berlin. The police intervened to swiftly end the attempted occupation. The individuals attempting to occupy the university building were extremely aggressive, threatening employees verbally and resorting to physical violence. Injuries were reported. Rooms were wrecked, and slogans along with the Hamas triangle symbol were spray-painted on the walls of the historic building. The acts of vandalism resulted in significant property damage throughout the building.

“This was an absolute violation of boundaries, and we condemn these violent acts in the strongest possible terms. We see this as an attack on Freie Universität Berlin and our offer to engage in a dialogue together about this difficult and important issue,” said the university’s president, Professor Günter M. Ziegler. “Our primary responsibility now is to support university employees and others impacted by today’s events and to ensure their safety and protection.”