On Sunday afternoon, several hundred protesters gathered in Pilestræde, Copenhagen, in front of the offices of Berlingske Media, which publishes outlets such as Weekendavisen, Berlingske, Euroinvestor, and B.T. The demonstration criticized what the protesters perceive as a biased Danish media coverage of the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Mohammed Abdel Aziz, one of the protesters, spoke to B.T. about the broader cause of the protest: “This is about the Palestinians needing to have their rights and their own land. We feel that the media’s coverage is generally too pro-Israel and does not reflect reality.” Aziz further explained that he believes people in Germany, Sweden, and Denmark would act similarly if their countries were occupied. He also pointed out the significant difference in military technology between Israel and Palestine. “Israel possesses the most advanced weapons in the world, while Palestinians only have a few rifles and use stones to survive,” he said.
The demonstrators chose to gather in front of Berlingske Media to urge the media to reconsider what they report. Aziz stated, “The media should tell us that what Israel is doing is wrong. No innocent should die, but Israel uses every excuse to bomb.”
Jotam Confino, B.T.’s Middle East correspondent, rejected the criticism and emphasized that Hamas has access to considerable military resources such as AK-47 rifles, rockets, drones, and an advanced tunnel network. “You can’t slaughter 1,200 people with just a few rifles,” he asserted, adding, “It’s incorrect to claim that Danish media is overly pro-Israeli. They report uncensored information from Hamas on a daily basis.”
The conflict between Israel and Hamas escalated following an attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, last year, which resulted in approximately 1,200 fatalities. According to the health ministry controlled by Hamas in Gaza, at least 40,000 people have died in Gaza since the start of the conflict. Currently, ceasefire negotiations are taking place in Qatar, but the situation remains tense.