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,

You can follow us on the following social media:

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