Berlin: Dozens of pro-Palestinian demonstrators, including climate activist Greta Thunberg, blocked access to arms manufacturer Rheinmetall's Berlin office on Monday. The protesters glued themselves to the entrances, protesting the company's involvement in supplying weapons used in Israel's military actions in Gaza.

According to Anadolu Agency, the protest was organized by the group Peacefully Against Genocide as part of a larger campaign opposing Rheinmetall's expanded production of artillery ammunition for the Israeli military. The demonstrators accused the German defense company and the German government of enabling what they describe as apartheid and genocide in Gaza, as well as attacks on Lebanon.

Thunberg, participating in the blockade, issued a statement condemning Rheinmetall's plans to construct a new factory in Berlin. She highlighted the factory's role in producing ammunition for Israel, contributing to what she termed an ongoing genocide and apartheid occupation.

'We are doing this because it is our duty to protest against injustice and to stand up against genocide,' Thunberg stated. She emphasized the legal duty of states and institutions to end complicity in such acts by halting arms transfers and severing ties with states like Israel, which she accused of genocide.

The protest was eventually dispersed by police, resulting in the arrest of several demonstrators who were taken into custody. Rheinmetall's Berlin facility, previously dedicated to automotive parts, has increasingly been repurposed to produce artillery ammunition components. Critics argue that this shift implicates both the company and Germany in Israel's military operations, criticized for civilian casualties and alleged war crimes in Gaza.

The protesters are calling for Rheinmetall to cease all production linked to Israel and to close the Berlin facility. The group has pledged to continue their actions against the company's operations in the city.