Why we disrupted Annalena Baerbock’s award speech

What the report says

In an opinion piece published by Al Jazeera on 9 November 2026, two authors described how they and other protesters disrupted a seminar and award-related appearance by former German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock at Uppsala University in Sweden. The authors said the protest followed the Dag Hammarskjold Foundation’s announcement in late August that Baerbock would receive its 2026 medal, which she was to be given in connection with a lecture at the university.

The piece argues that Baerbock should not have been honored because of her record as Germany’s foreign minister, especially her support for Israel during the war in Gaza. The authors criticized German arms exports to Israel, Baerbock’s defense of Israel’s security policies, and her refusal, in their view, to describe the situation in Gaza as genocide while serving as president of the UN General Assembly. They also said the university was wrong to host the event while not taking stronger action against Israeli institutions, contrasting that with its response to Russian institutions after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

The article is framed as a justification for disruptive protest rather than a news report. Its broader context is the international dispute over how universities, foundations and governments should respond to the Gaza war, Israeli military actions and allegations of genocide. Al Jazeera notes that the views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the outlet’s editorial stance.