BERLIN

German police on Monday cracked down harshly on pro-Palestinian activists protesting Israel's attacks on Gaza.

Footage on social media shows police treating activists roughly, trying to arrest them and occasionally resorting to punches.

In the footage of protests near Berlin's Chancellery building, the police sometimes use pepper spray and cover the mouths of some activists to prevent them from breathing.

Last week, German police canceled a planned Palestinian Congress in Berlin by cutting off power to the venue.

Germany also denied entry to Ghassan Abu-Sittah, the British-Palestinian rector of Scotland's Glasgow University, who was supposed to speak at the congress.

The ministry also barred Yanis Varoufakis, the former Greek finance minister, from participating in political activities in Germany due to his pro-Palestinian statements.