The Left Berlin News & Comment

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Month: July 2023

Letter from the Editors: 13th July 2023

Queer Trans Mutual Aid, Radical Neukölln and protest against Rammstein


13/07/2023

Hello everyone,

A two-week-long exhibition called We are the Seeds began this week. This exhibition by contemporary Myanmar artists, looks at the Art of Myanmar’s Spring Revolution. There are a number of extra events as part of the exhibition; which includes a discussion on Myanmar’s Spring Revolution: Is history merely repeating itself? on Monday, and a 2-part performance called “With a Lantern of Hope: The Experience of Exile” on Tuesday and Wednesday. The exhibition and events take place in the daadgalerie, Oranienstraße 161.

On Friday from 5pm in Bilgisaray (Oranienstraße 45), the Berlin LINKE Internationals are organising their latest Küfa – an evening of food, networking and political discussion.  As ever, the food is free, but donations will be collected for a political organisations. As we approach Pride season, this month’s collection will be for Queer Trans Mutual Aid Berlin, who support Trans* Inter* and non-binary people in Berlin with self-defence, fundraising, help and questions around medical transition, gender affirming clothing, cooking, translation, bureaucracy, looking after pets and children, accompanying people to government buildings or shopping, and much more. Queer Trans Mutual Aid Berlin is our Campaign of the Week.

On Saturday at 2pm, there’s a rally in front of the Rotes Rathaus under the title Nothing expected, nonetheless disappointed. BerlinZusammen organised the rally against the coalition of regression and their agenda of cuts in Berlin. The planned budget cuts by the new ruling coalition affect above all those who are in the most difficult situations. From stopping the building of cycle lanes to plans to build on Tempelhofer Feld and half-hearted engagement in carrying out the DWE referendum, it is clear which regressive plans this Grand Coalition have for our city. They must not be allowed to realise these plans.

Also on Saturday afternoon, there are protests against the evening’s concert by Rammstein. Rammstein’s singer Till Lindemann has been accused by a number of people of abuse and physical mistreatment. These accusations paint a picture of systematic abuse of power and sexual violence. This is why a demonstration has been organised against misogyny and the music industry which is dominated by men who wilfully abuse people as mere sex objects. The demonstration starts at 2:30pm at Theodor-Heuß Platz, taking place at the Olympistadion where there will be a rally with music.

On Sunday, its the monthly Berlin LINKE Internationals walking tour. This month, we’ll be walking through radical Neukölln. Neukölln started out as a village named Rixdorf. It quickly grew into a massive workers’ district — one of Berlin’s reddest neighbourhoods. When the revolution began in November 1918, a workers’ and soldiers’ council took over Neukölln’s City Hall. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, the Nazis faced massive resistance here. The tour starts at 2pm in front of the Geschwister Nothaft Café at Schwarzastraße 9, opposite S-Bhf Sonnenallee. It will be over by 4:30pm. If you register here, you will be sent more information on Saturday.

There are many more activities this week in Berlin, which are listed on our Events page. You can also see a shorter, but more detailed, list of Events which we are directly involved in here.

In News from Berlin, the racially insensitive Mohrenstraße is finally renamed.

In News from Germany, the rate of inflation in Germany is rising again, AfD man is allowed to remain a district administrator in Thüringen, a new hospital reform package is introduced, over 8,000 people died from heat in Germany, Germany is sending €700 million worth of weapons to Ukraine, and low income families set to lose out from new marriage law.

Read all about this week’s News from Berlin and Germany here.

New on theleftberlin this week, we publish Majda’s speech from the Nakba 75 demonstration in May.

Majda also pops up in our radio prograame of the week. Radio Berlin International looks at Nakba Day, and interviews Palestinian Berliners Majda and Qassem. Radio Berlin International is now on its Summer holidays, and will be back in the Autumn,

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If you would like to contribute any articles or have any questions or criticisms about our work, please contact us at team@theleftberlin.com. And do encourage your friends to subscribe to this Newsletter.

Keep on fighting

The Left Berlin Editorial Board

News from Berlin and Germany, 12th July 2023

Weekly news round-up from Berlin and Germany


12/07/2023

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Mohrenstrasse to be renamed: a defeat for old white men

Seven ‘culture campaigners’ face defeat at Berlin’s Administrative Court on Thursday once the court rejected their objections to the renaming of Mohrenstraße to Anton-W.-Amo-Straße. Since 2020, anti-colonialist activists have been fighting to find a new name for the street. Among the older men who went to court to save a racist street name was the well-known historian Götz Aly. Regina Römhild, professor at the Institute for European Ethnology (Humboldt University), located on “M Street”, mentions there have been many negative reactions. “I work closely with people from South Africa, and they are surprised. It’s damaging for Berlin as an international metropolis.” Source: nd-aktuell

NEWS FROM GERMANY

German inflation rate rises again

After three months of steady easing, inflation rate in Germany is on the rise again. According to Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), monthly figures have revealed inflation rates have been at 6.4 percent in June, up from 6.1 percent in May. The main explanations given for these rises is that the baseline for inflation was measured in June 2022 when the 9-euro ticket went on sale as well as the fuel discount and the energy relief package offered by the government last year. However, food prices remain the biggest driver of inflation in the country. Source: iamexpat

No objections to AfD district administrator

After a review of his “loyalty to the constitution”, the AfD politician Robert Stuhlmann can remain district administrator in the southern Thuringian district of Sonneberg. In the case of Stuhlmann, “no concrete circumstances are currently seen that are of sufficient weight and objectively suitable to trigger serious concern about his future fulfilment of the duty of loyalty to the constitution,” said the Thuringian state administration office last Monday in Weimar. The review had been started ex officio. The AfD have called the test a scandal and an attack on democracy. Source: jungewelt

Agreement on hospital reform

Last Monday, Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) presented the hospital reform with agreement with almost all federal states. This was preceded by a tough and months-long struggle among the federal and state governments over content and competencies. Lauterbach promised a revolution in the industry, especially in terms of quality. The States and the federal government agreed on subjects such as funding, to be linked to quality criteria – which seems to have been agreed upon. The reform is set to come into force in January 2024, and the new financing system is not expected to take effect until 2025 at the earliest, because of amendment of state laws. Source: taz

Summer 2022: more than 60,000 heat deaths in Europe

In the hottest summer on the continent since records began, almost 8,200 people died in Germany alone because of the high temperatures. Scientists have been calling for prevention plans. The study, carried out by the French state health research institute Inserm and the Spanish institute ISGlobal, have stated, if there are no appropriate protective measures, there will be an average of 68,000 heat deaths every year from 2030 onwards. By 2040, the number of victims could rise to more than 94,000. The study also highlights that already in 2003 there were a high number of heat-related deaths. Source: dw

Germany is supplying arms to Ukraine worth 700 million euro

Germany is supporting Ukraine’s defence against the Russian invasion with additional weapons, ammunition, and military equipment worth almost 700 million euro. There are also 20,000 rounds of artillery ammunition and 5,000 rounds of smoke ammunition, as well as reconnaissance drones and anti-drone defences. In addition, Ukraine will receive a pioneer package with mine countermeasures and a medical package – including components for a field hospital. Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) landed in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius this Tuesday together with Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) and will officially announce the package at the start of the NATO summit. Source: pnp

Klingbeil on marital splitting: austerity proposal at an inopportune time

In and of itself, the abolition of ‘marital splitting’, that is, the promotion of the traditional division of roles in partnerships via tax law, would be progress. Feminists and leftists have been calling for it for decades. However, the timing of the abolition of the tax advantages for single-earner marriages proposed by SPD leader Lars Klingbeil, that is, during a serve cost of living crisis, has drawn criticism. Worse, Klingbei wants to prevent the abolition of parental allowance for very high-earning couples. Without a basic child allowance worthy of such a name, families with low incomes would suffer the worst consequences from the abolition of the marital splitting system. Source: nd-aktuell

Queer Trans Mutual Aid Berlin

Mutual aid by and for Berlin’s trans and queer community


Queer Trans Mutual Aid Berlin (QTMAB) is a left wing project from Berlin. We were formed in the tradition of the Black Panther Party and various Jewish mutual aid networks. We support Trans* Inter* and non-binary people in Berlin with self-defence, fundraising, help and questions around medical transition, gender affirming clothing, cooking, translation, bureaucracy, looking after pets and children, accompanying people to government buildings or shopping, and much more. We prioritise Black and Jewish people, and People of Colour. We are always looking for volunteers and welcome donations.

Our next campaign requires an explanation of our community “Tzedaka” box. Tzedaka comes from the Hebrew root meaning “justice” or “righteousness.” A Tzedakah box is a container put into Jewish spaces where people donate money after praying, learning, or hanging out. Some people also choose to donate a percentage of their income every month. This money is not given back to the Jewish institutions/houses of worship (like as is common in the Christian tradition) but instead it is redistributed to the community members in need, or given to nonprofits of the collective’s choosing.Tzedakah is an obligation to one’s community, not a choice. Tzedakah can also be done through sharing material goods and services such as cooking or driving or shopping. 

Queer Trans Mutual Aid Berlin was started based off of the Jewish Principal of Tikkun Olam, repairing the world. Together as a community, we can come together to do our part by practicing being in good relationship with each other. One of the ways to do this is by participating in Tzedaka. We have a patreon where people can donate a percentage of their incomes, and now we are creating an online Tzedaka box for the Queer Trans Berlin Community. 

How it works

What it is for? These funds are to be used for Transgender people based in Berlin who need some help affording basic necessities. Priority will go to Community members affected by Racism, Colonization, Antisemitism, and/or Ableism.

We will give out the same amount of small (5-30 euro) grants that we receive. If we get 25 euros, we will give 25 euros. The goal is to always have a pool of money like this to give away, constantly refilling itself before it is completely empty. You can help make that happen by donating generously and often to our PayPal

You can find out more information about QTMAB from our Instagram account, our Iniradar page and our linktree.

 

Radio Berlin International #25 (2023-07-09)

Nakba Day


11/07/2023

 

 

Magda and Qassem, Palestinian Berliners.

For more information on the campaigns they mentioned, see: Palestine Speaks: 

We were not born in a prison and you will not put us in one

Speech from the Nakba Day commemoration gathering, 20th May 2023, by Majda


07/07/2023

This is the text of a speech from the Nakba Day commemoration gathering on the 20th of May 2023, by Majda. The text has had minor edits for clarity, but is being reproduced here in its original format as a speech.

Germany, you outdid yourself.

You outdid yourself this time, and not for the first time.

You outdid yourself in your own so-called Wilkommenskultur, in bringing over cheap migrant labour, us, to whom your Wilkommenskultur is served as no more and no less than Ordnung muss sein (there must be order).

You outdid yourself in bringing over us, “the others”, only to bring us to order, only to integrate us in your likeness, to assimilate us so we become to your taste.

You outdid yourself in crashing us when we refused to be in your likeness, when we refused to be to your taste, when we refused to dance to your music.

You outdid yourself in crashing us when we wanted to be us, when we wanted to mourn our dead, our martyrs in Palestine, to mourn our lost homeland, our lost land, our lost way of living with other human beings and with nature, the beautiful nature of Palestine.

You outdid yourself, Germany, in your violence, your suppression and oppression. You outdid yourself in siding with the oppressors and turning against the oppressed.

Us, the oppressed, your new Gastarbeiter*innen, brown and black, queer and non-queer, Palestinians, Syrians, Algerians, Sahrawis, the non-conforming to the German-Israeli narrative anti-Zionist Jews, Kurds, Sudanese, Armenians, people of Afghanistan, Latinas, Tamils… the list goes on.

You outdid yourself in asking us to be good girls and good boys, not to “import antisemitism”, as if it there was a deficit of it here, in asking us to carry your guilt so that with time we arrive closer to being “civilised”, so that we are allowed to eat at your table and enjoy the full benefits of your “democracy”.

In the meantime, we are to shut up, we are to put our heads down and to work. We are to speak only when asked to, otherwise we are to remain silent and to make ourselves invisible, and we are not to march 15,000 non-white people through the streets of Berlin as we did on the Nakba Day two years ago.

We are not to scream our lungs out when our people are being killed by the Israeli regime, again and again, day after day. Nor when our children are maimed and imprisoned by this regime, and especially not when our political prisoners defy it with their hunger strikes. We are not to resist the Israeli occupation, aggression and oppression.

We are not to call a spade a spade, we are not to call an apartheid an apartheid, we are not to call the Israeli apartheid the Israeli apartheid. This, because “it is not helpful in the German context”, because of “the special relation” – we’ve heard this bullshit, this wack talk, millions of times. We are not to name names.

Or yes, we are to name names only when you, Germany, allow it. It’s ok, it’s allowed, to name names when crimes against humanity are being committed in Ukraine or in Syria by the Syrian regime and its killing machine – which we applaud you for. But it’s the same universal jurisdiction, simply justice, which you, Germany, do not want to apply to crimes committed by the Israeli regime and its killing machine against the Palestinian people — then, we are not to name names.

We must break it to you, Germany: you asked for workers, you got people instead. We, the workers, your “Gastarbeiter*innen”, we were not born in a prison and you will not put us in one — a prison of silence, a prison of orders and your Ordnung, a prison of visas and Aufenthaltstitel, a prison of press censorship on Palestine, a prison of silence and of invisibility.

We Palästinenser*innen, we Arbeiter*innen, we are free — free people. And Palestine is free. It is already free in our hearts, and it will be free, from the river to the sea.