Hello everyone,
This evening (Thursday), at 7pm, the LINKE Berlin Internationals have their latest organising meeting to plan future events. There’s plenty to organise – from the Nakba demonstration, political walking tours, a visit from Azad Essa, Senior Reporter for Middle East Eye, and a film showing. Above all, there’s preparation for Summer Camp on 10th-11th June. The meeting is open to anyone who’s interested and will be in Erif Eralp’s office, Zeughofstraße 22, Kreuzberg (or in Görlitzer Park if the weather is good, so please be punctual).
On Saturday, there’s the Remembrance Event Book Exchange. This is a memorial event to reclaim the space where the Institute of Sexual Sciences used to stand until May 6 1933. With this 90 years remembrance event the emphasis is on Trans and Jewish perspectives and histories. There will be a book exchange with the option of listening to speeches at the institute’s memorial. You are encouraged to bring queer and Jewish books and Zines to exchange and enjoy on a picnic blanket in the sunshine. The event starts at midday in Tiergarten.
There are 2 more cases this week of Palestinians having to defend themselves in the German courts. On Tuesday, Pary El-Qalqili is appealing a fine of over €300 for taking part in a minute’s silence on Nakba day last year. Then on Wednesday, Palestinian journalist Farah Maraqa is back in court. After a judge found Deutsche Welle guilty on all charges when they sacked Farah, DW have the audacity to challenge the decision. Please go to both court cases to support Pary and Farah.
- Tuesday 9th May, 10am: Amtsgericht Tiergarten, Kirchstraße 6 (U-Bahn Turmstraße)
- Wednesday, 10th May; 11am, Room 341, Arbeitsgericht Berlin, Magdeburger Platz 1 (U-Bahn Kurfürstenstraße)
On Tuesday, to mark the anniversary of the Second World War, there will be a rally against war and to thank the liberators. The VVN-BdA is organising the rally from 9am at the Soviet war memorial in Treptower Park with the following demands: “Join with us against war, patriotism and nationalism! Against all historical revisionism! Immediate reparations for all living war prisoners from all republics of the former Soviet Union! Acceptance of all people who flee war and poverty, stop the racist admission practise! Stop the armaments spiral now! Solidarity, not nationalism! Spasibo, thank you, merci!”
Also on Tuesday, at 5pm there will be a demonstration against the warmongering of the Green Party and co. The Green Party, which once regarded itself as a “party of peace” is now driving militarism and celebrating the military escalation in Ukraine. Instead of seriously looking for alternatives to a long-lasting war of attrition with thousands of dead on both side, the Green want to “ruin Russia” (Baerbock). But even more weapons will not end the deaths. Quite the reverse. The demo starts at the Green party HQ at Platz vor dem Neuen Tor 1 * Berlin-Mitte, and will visit the FDP offices, the German army showroom, and the Rheinmetall Büro at Brandenburger Tor. It is organised by Rheinmetall Entwaffnen, who are our Campaign of the Week.
On Thursday, at 7pm, Clifton West, founder of Black Lives Matter Seacoast will be speaking on Black US Americans and Palestinians: Two united fights of liberation. From leading figures in the civil rights movement in the 1960s like Malcolm X and Angela Davis, to Black Lives Matter activists and Black athletes, Black US Americans have supported the Palestinian civil rights movement. Clifton will be giving a more clear look at this alliance – why it happened, where it stands today given the actual political situation in the USA and the fight against racism there. Clifton will be speaking in English, and the meeting will be in the Neues Deutschland building, Franz-Mehring Platz 1.
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, mass arrests of Last Generation activists, police prevent the Revolutionary 1st May demo from reaching its end point, and controversy over possible AfD support for new mayor Kai Wegner.
In News from Germany, Islamophobic messages from Springer press CEO Döpfner revealed, fewer Covid vaccinations recommended, simpler gender registration seems to be on its way, and Tübingen’s mayor leaves the Green party after repeatedly using the N- word.
Read all about this week’s News from Berlin and Germany here.
New on theleftberlin this week, Miho Soon argues that there should be no stigma in receiving benefits, and Yoav Haifiwi remembers when Palestinians working for the Israeli trade union defied a ban preventing them from striking on Mayday.
This week’s Video of the week is a recording of last Saturday’s meeting 75 Jahre Nakba: Anti-Palästinensischer Rassismus & Repressionen in Berlin. The meeting is largely in German, but Farah Maraqa’s contribution is in English.
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Keep on fighting
The Left Berlin Editorial Board
