Hundreds gathered in Berlin on October 7 to celebrate the murder, kidnapping, rape and other monstrosities committed by Hamas against Israel one year ago. Following the protests, riots escalated with demonstrators building and setting fire to barricades and others throwing pyrotechnics and stones at police officers. Swedish climate activists and Israel-hater Greta Thunberg participated in the protest and accused Germany and its police of preventing peaceful protests.

The demonstrators believe the State of Israel has to be destroyed. Chants included “Viva, viva Palestine!” “Yalla, yalla intifada!” “Stop the mass murder!” “Israel is a terror state!” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!”

In the district of Berlin-Neukölln, where some of the worst riots occurred, four people were arrested. Additional arrests were made in Berlin-Kreuzberg were Thunberg protested. In a video recorded on-site, Thunberg stated:

The German state is complicit in this genocide. It finances and legitimizes Israel’s apartheid state, occupation and genocide. … I cannot even find the words to tell how upset it makes me to see how Germany and the German police treat peaceful protesters for saying no to genocide. It is beyond me. I literally don’t have words.

Thunberg is used to receiving friendlier treatment on her countless climate activist protests, but the German police is less tolerant when it comes to protests that oppose the existence of Israel.

Germany is not the only country struggling to keep protesters at bay. In England, thousands demonstrated in London and 16 were arrested. But Germany has shown more solidarity for Israel and enacted some strict laws against terrorist sympathizers. cnn reported in January:

As Israel battles Hamas in Gaza, European authorities have been tightening the net on the militants, with high-profile raids, financial curbs and a crackdown of its online activities. But no country has gone further in targeting an already banned group and its supporters than Germany.

In Berlin, pro-Palestinian marches have been limited and schools have been granted the power to place bans on Palestinian flags and kaffiyeh scarves.

Video footage of the German police putting down anti-Israel protests demonstrates this tough stance. Some critics used the videos on social media in an effort to foment hatred for Israel and Germany’s police forces.

In the light of the increasing violence on German streets and the constant fear of terrorist attacks, more and more are calling for the further empowerment of the police. At the same time, debates on banning knives in public areas and other regulations are raging. The German government is also considering stopping or limiting the intake of migrants and introducing large-scale deportations. As the security risks increase, we can expect this trend to continue.

The scenes in Germany are contributing to the growing dissatisfaction with the government and demands for new elections. But even if the more conservative Christian Democratic Union wins the election as predicted, it would have to make a coalition with at least one if not two of the current governing parties—or enter a coalition with the far right, which it has ruled out.

The democracies of Europe are unable to face the current challenges. Whether it is border security, migration, riots on the streets, economic despair or wars on the Continent, the challenges demand strong leadership that Germany currently lacks. But the Bible reveals a drastic change ahead.

As the late educator and theologian Herbert W. Armstrong explained, many of the Bible’s prophecies are for our time—in fact, they are being fulfilled before our eyes. You can read about these current and fulfilled prophecies in He Was Right.

The Bible reveals that the current trends in Germany will lead to the rise of authoritarian leaders, which Daniel 2 and Revelation 17 describe as “kings.” The setting is right before God’s intervention in world affairs—the time just ahead of us.

Expect the increasing riots and complexity of world affairs to cause European nations to put their trust in authoritarian leaders. To learn more, read A Strong German Leader Is Imminent.