Thread by @CoellenCristina

Hello again from #Berlin, it is #9May and #Russians have flocked to the Soviet Army Memorial in Tiergarten. A lot of people are wearing St George's Ribbons, which have been banned. Police is not finding an issue with this. Things are very quiet for now.

#b0905

Now singing. Again, several people with St George's ribbons.

A girl wearing a "I stand with Russia" t-shirt. #Berlin

@IMatviyishyn @olgatokariuk @DietmarPichler1 @IAPonomarenko

March at Tiergarten. People are chanting "for victory" and a woman says "victory will be ours". I feel sick. #9Mai #Berlin

@IMatviyishyn @jane_in_vain @MelnykAndrij

Russian woman has decided to wear a "Judenstern", because sure, Russians are definitely being treated like Jews. We are in Germany. I might really go throw up now, be back soon.

#b0905

A guy next to me just said "Fuck Ukraine" in Russian. If I get through this day without punching anyone, it will be a success.

Escalation: opposite the Soviet memorial, #Ukrainian activists have put up banners calling for peace and the end of the Putin regime. @polizeiberlin has ripped them off the fence.

Contrast this with police measures for the commemorative march by Russians: displaying a message in German reminding people that flags, uniforms, St-George's ribbons etc. are banned.

Overview of the situation at the #Ukrainian stand: some of the activists broke down in tears after banners were confiscated by police. A lot of press present, police then broke up the group & asked everyone to leave the street. This was about 2 hours ago (had no battery to post)

Little update on the woman with the Jewish star: so it has been pointed out that she is in fact an Israeli citizen (she did prove this to the police) & she said she was wearing the star to "protest antisemitism that her daughter experienced in a German school". Now...

Israeli citizenship does not mean that someone is Jewish. The woman was also a Russian speaker, so high possibility that she could be Russian, but hold dual citizenship (a lot of Russians do). She also had a memorial foto/document with her like a lot of other Russians there...

so, that points to her Russian heritage & the 9 May context. My earlier tweet was not quite correct, and I apologise, but I've also had an antisemitism expert agree that it would be very strange for a Jewish person to voluntarily wear a Jewish star, even if it was to protest.

So anyway, apologies for that, according to her she didn't wear the star to protest alleged discrimination of Russians, but the whole episode is strange. Anyway that's it, & let's get back to the main topic, which is of course 🇺🇦 :)