News from Berlin
Berlin Election: 250,000 Posters are up
The race for the best poles across Berlin is on. Political parties were officially allowed to begin hanging campaign posters promoting their candidates on Sunday (August 2) at noon. By Monday morning, around a quarter of a million posters could be spotted across the German capital—but that’s likely because some parties snuck out illegally early. This is the first year that the start time has been during the day, in an attempt to ensure that no one began putting up posters early in secret. It appears that that effort didn’t work, though. For instance, in Marzahn-Hellersdorf, the CDU was caught putting up posters on Saturday night; Morgenpost spotted the SPD in Neukölln at 9 pm. Source: heistberlin
Significantly more elderly rely on basic income support and housing benefits
The number of older people in Berlin receiving basic income support has risen by around 50% over the course of nine years, according to the federal government’s response to an inquiry by the Die Linke parliamentary group in the Bundestag. It went from 41,000 in 2016 to more than 60,000 people in 2025. Nationwide, the number of older housing benefit recipients has risen from 194,587 to 709,345. Regarding the proportion of basic income support recipients among all people above the standard retirement age, Berlin (8.8% in 2024) is well above the national average (4.1% in 2024). Source: rbb24
“Muslims for Peace”: Ahmadiyya Demonstrate in Berlin
On July 25, during the CSD Parade, a suspected IS sympathizer drove a van into a crowd of people not far from the Brandenburg Gate. The attack plunged Berlin into mourning and sparked debates. The Ahmadiyya Muslims’ initiative, which operates the Khadija Mosque in Pankow, aims to intervene in this debate. “After the horrific attack, it was important for us to unequivocally condemn the terrible act for which our religion was instrumentalized,” explains Imam Scharjil Khalid of the Khadija Mosque. Khalid also explained that Ahmadiyya communities in Germany began organizing rallies under the motto “Muslims for Peace” many years ago. However, the attack on the CSD has lent new urgency to the campaign’s cause. Source: nd
News from Germany
Hamburg CSD: record-breaking parade with intensified security
Around 55 floats and 80 walking groups made their way through Hamburg’s city center, sending a message of diversity and tolerance. Security measures surrounding the demonstration were tightened following the attack on the sidelines of the Berlin CSD. This year’s Christopher Street Day in Hamburg was the largest to date. According to police and organizers, around 300,000 people took to the streets. Last year, the figure was approximately 260,000. The Berlin CSD association participated in the demonstration with its own float. Source: dw
Bob Vylan success in deportation situation
British punk rap band Bob Vylan announced on July 31 they won their deportation case in Germany, described as an attempt to silence pro-Palestine activism. On June 15, the band’s frontman was detained at the Berlin airport, denied entry, and was ultimately deported back home, reportedly due to the band’s pro-Palestine views. The band were not given a reason for the deportation or for the ban being lifted. Before the band was able to challenge the deportation legally, police decided to remove the travel ban due to no legal basis for denial of entry, and the band can now freely travel to the country. Source: newarab
Civil Partnership Act: 25 years
August 1, 2001, marked a turning point in Germany. With the Civil Partnership Act, same-sex couples in Germany were granted a legal framework similar to marriage for the first time. However, it would take another 16 years before full marriage equality was achieved. “The Civil Partnership Act was a milestone for the legal recognition of same-sex couples in Germany and the foundation for opening up marriage,” according to Alexander Vogt (Queere Vielfalt e.V.). By 2025, according to the Federal Statistical Office, around 108,000 couples are married. At the same time, approximately 24,000 registered civil partnerships remain in existence; these can be converted into marriages upon application. Source: dw
Germany deports Afghan with no criminal record for the first time
The Freebird Airlines flight which took off from Leipzig/Halle on July 28 and was bound for Trabzon before continuing to Kabul, Afghanistan, was no ordinary flight. It marked the first time since the Taliban seized power that an Afghan national with no criminal record was deported from Germany alongside 30 convicted criminals. This precedent sparked vociferous protests: 260 people demonstrated—under heavy police supervision—inside the airport’s departure hall. Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) affirmed: “We are beginning with the deportation of criminal offenders to Afghanistan; however, individuals required to leave the country are also eligible for deportation if they have not demonstrated integration efforts in Germany.” Source: dw
Transport corridors dried up
Germany has so far been spared the kind of widespread forest fires currently raging in many European countries. However, industrially accelerated global warming is causing worryingly low water levels on the country’s shipping routes. According to Niwis—an information system that aggregates hydrological data—around 44% of monitoring stations on the Rhine, 16% on the Elbe, and approximately 78% on the Danube showed extremely low water levels on July 31. On August 1, Cologne recorded its lowest water level since records began: 67 centimeters. With such low levels, freight costs on certain routes have reportedly tripled or quadrupled. Added to this are costs arising from delays and rescheduling. Source: jungewelt
