Saturday, 24th February 2024, 14:00 – Demo “Görli stays open!”
Platz ohne Namen (in front of the Kiezanker/Falckensteinstr. 14, 10997)
For years, demands for more surveillance, control, and police as ways of fighting criminality have been made in Görli and Wrangelkiez, especially since an alleged gang rape at the end of June.
To be clear, every case of patriarchal and sexualised violence is one too many! Patriarchal and sexualised violence is indeed a problem. At night time, women feel unsafe in parks (just as they do in streets, in clubs, in public transport, and often in their own homes). Violence exists in our society independently of background and skin colour. Women are not protected by more police but by the fight against these social conditions. We want to be absolutely clear about this!
In Görli it’s not been about rape for a long time. Women and their experiences of violence are being instrumentalised for racist Law & Order campaigns.
Yes, there are social conflicts in the Kiez, like the consumption and dealing of drugs, homelessness, and impoverishment, but also gentrification and displacement. For the politicians of the SPD and the CDU, it’s not about women and safety in our district, but racist displacement, repressive migration politics, and gentrification (#Musterpark).
Now they are demanding turnstiles and cameras at the entrances. A fence will be built around Görli and at night the park will be closed.
This will not solve any of the problems!
A fence does not protect any woman from violence. A fence does not help any homeless person, a fence does not make the situation of drug consumers any better, and it’s a mystery what a fence should achieve against drug dealing.
A fence just ensures displacement in the surrounding residential areas and takes more open spaces away from us.
That’s no good!
We, as residents therefore demand that:
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Görli stays open at night!
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relevant help for drug consumers (above all drop-in centres, sleeping places, and consumption rooms) is made available!
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people without work permits are given prospects and legal employment opportunities!
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Women’s refuges, violence protection ambulances, and violence prevention projects are developed and provided with sufficient financial means.
Populist actionism brings nothing. The financial resources should be deployed sensibly and properly targeted.
We need social solutions for social problems.
And this is exactly what we already proposed a year ago in an open letter, written jointly with more than 250 residents, initiatives, tradespeople, and collectives from Wrangelkiez. But nothing happened. Those responsible ignored our concerns and the social conflicts. Now they are fuelling a discussion of fear around the phrase “worst drug park in Germany,” in order to look like they are doing something with their Law & Order measures. They seem not to have noticed that their proposals do nothing to solve the problem.
This is why you should support our petition and fight against displacement and for an open Görli!
Social Safety, not Law & Order!
For a district of solidarity!
You can visit the Görli Zaunfrei website here.
