German ambassador ‘loses his cool’ over pro-Palestine protest

LAHORE: Germany’s Ambassador to Pakistan Alfred Grannas lost his cool after pro-Palestine protesters on Saturday interrupted and chanted slogans during his speech on civil rights at a conference in Lahore, ARY News reported.

The German ambassador was speaking at the 5th Asma Jahangir Conference titled ‘People’s Mandate: Safeguarding Civil Rights in South Asia’.

“Excuse me, Mr Ambassador. I am shocked by the audacity that you are here to talk about civil rights while your country is brutally abusing the people speaking for the rights of the Palestinians,” the protestor can be heard saying during ambassador’s speech.

Grannas immediately acknowledged his comments, saying: “If you want to shout, go out, there you can shout. Because shouting is not a discussion.”

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During his speech, German ambassador Grannas acknowledged the importance of conferences like these, stating that courts do not operate in a vacuum.

It is pertinent to mention here that protests calling for universities to boycott companies and individuals with ties to Israel amid the ongoing war there have swept college campuses across the US.

Tensions have been escalating at universities in the wake of the Israel’s assault on Gaza that has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians.

Major encampments and protests were seen first at Columbia University in New York, but have since erupted elsewhere across the country.