News from Berlin
Woman wearing headscarf attacked in Friedrichshain
A woman wearing a hijab was attacked by a man wielding a glass bottle in the Berlin district of Friedrichshain. According to reports, the woman got off the M13 tram line at the Kopernikusstraße/Warschauer Straße stop. Police stated the suspect also exited the tram. At a red traffic light, the unidentified man allegedly struck the 36-year-old on the head with a glass bottle without warning. The police also added that a witness administered first aid, and the woman was subsequently taken to a hospital. The suspect fled the scene and remains unidentified. The State Security division of the State Criminal Police Office has taken over the investigation. Source: islamiq
Berlin’s government has been hacked
If you’ve been trying in the last days to reach the Berlin Senate for anything related to housing, transportation, or climate protection, you’re probably not getting through this week. The Senate Chancellery announced on August 18 that the Berlin administration has been the target of a hacker cyberattack, and several departments are totally shut down. Government sources told German media that the data leaked during the hack is “in some cases highly sensitive,” and could affect other departments and administrative buildings. It’s unclear when the hack originated or who instigated it, though Berlin’s Chief Digital Officer Florian Hauer told rbb it is assumed to be an external attack. Source: heistberlin
Wahl-O-Mat goes live; Die Linke four points clear in Berlin
The Berlin elections are just under four weeks away, and Die Linke is extending its lead in the polls. For the first time, a Forsa poll conducted for t-online displays a clear distance between the frontrunner and the rest, with Die Linke’s Elif Eralp polling at 22%. This is four points clear of second place, shared by the CDU and the AfD, both at 18%. On August 24, the “Wahl-O-Mat” was also launched, a mainstay of German elections. It allows users to calibrate each party’s stance against their own views. But it isn’t the only tool available for voters: there is also “kandidierendencheck.” Source: heistberlin
News from Germany
Interior Ministry bans the “Palästina e.V.” Association
The Hessian Interior Ministry has banned the anti-Israel association “Palästina e.V.” According to the Ministry, the association had increasingly appeared in public following the terrorist organization Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. In doing so, it explicitly endorsed the terror attack; for instance, a leading member described it as “a successful act of resistance.” The ban was preceded by administrative court proceedings, as announced on August 18. In response to the ban, a protest rally took place in Frankfurt on the evening of the same day. Police counted approximately 30 participants—50 people had been registered to attend. The demonstration proceeded peacefully. Source: tagesschau
“Migra-Strike:” a work stoppage against exclusion
Strikes are not merely a tool in the fight for better working conditions. To take a stand against racism and exclusion, business owners with a migration background in Magdeburg plan to make a visible statement with a strike on August 26. As part of the “Migra-Strike,” participating business owners will close their establishments that day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The initiative is driven by experiences of racism and social exclusion, as well as political debates in which people’s right to belong is increasingly questioned based on their origins. “It is not just the AfD”. “We want a policy that brings people together,” affirms Saaeid Saaeid, spokesperson for the Saxony-Anhalt Refugee Council. Source: nd
Police shooting of 14-year-old in Munich: two versions, many questions
On August 18 a Munich police officer shot and seriously injured a 14-year-old student in the Schwabing district. It is undisputed that the youth was carrying a realistic-looking airsoft pistol. However, exactly what happened during the crucial seconds before and after the shot remains unclear. While the police claim the 14-year-old made a movement as if he were cocking the pistol, the family affirms the youth threw the airsoft pistol onto the ground and repeatedly shouted it was a toy gun. This highlights a fundamental problem with so-called “blue-light reporting”, where police statements are frequently treated as if they were news agency dispatches. Source: sonntagsblatt
EVG warns about blocking regional rail operations
Roughly six months after the fatal attack on a train attendant on a regional train, the railway and transport union EVG warns nationwide about blockades affecting regional rail services. Union leader Martin Burkert stated that if the federal government does not soon increase penalties for attacks on train attendants, the union will refuse to approve duty rosters starting in January. The promised legislation must be submitted to the Bundestag this year—”otherwise, we will bring operations to a standstill in January,” said Burkert. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice told Bild am Sonntag that there is a draft bill about the topic, still undergoing internal government coordination. Source: tagesschau
Industry or drinking water? The circumstances in Brandenburg
Brandenburg is becoming increasingly dry. Yet industrial projects—such as those involving Tesla, Red Bull, and a planned copper mining operation—consume vast amounts of water. They illustrate a fundamental conflict: industrial operations create jobs and attract investment, yet they can also increase the strain on local resources. A possible solution would be a somewhat artificial groundwater recharge: excess water from periods of high rainfall to be stored underground for later use. For drought researcher Andreas Marx, a crucial question still remains: according to what rules should water be allocated among the population, agriculture, nature, and industry during prolonged dry spells? Source: dw.
