News from Berlin
Die Linke lead candidate criticizes rapper’s performance at campaign event
Elif Eralp, the lead candidate for Berlin’s Die Linke has sharply criticized a performance by a rapper at a campaign event hosted by her party’s Neukölln district branch. “Like my party chairwoman Kerstin Wolter, I condemn the performance in Neukölln in the strongest possible terms. Calls for violence and the killing of people are absolutely unacceptable,” Eralp stated. She added: “The Neukölln district branch invited the singer; I expect an explanation as to how such a line could be crossed, and I expect consequences. I stand firmly for the protection of Jewish life and against every form of antisemitism.” According to Tagesspiegel, the rapper had performed a song that included lyrics such as “Yalla yalla intifada, West Bank, Palestine, Gaza” and “Death to the IDF.” Source: rbb
News from Germany
Germany extends legally questionable border controls until 2027
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) has announced that Germany will extend additional controls at its nine land borders until March 2027. The German government first introduced additional border controls in the Schengen Area in September 2024, and that policy has been extended four times. The Ministry also announced it has notified the European Commission of the latest extension. Dobrindt’s decision comes despite the EU itself recently calling on German authorities to suspend all additional border checks. EU member states in the Schengen Area may implement their own border controls, but only when public order or internal security is under threat. Source: iamexpat
Against discrimination: Justice Minister wants LGBTQ+ rights in the constitution
Legal protections against discrimination for LGBTQ+ people in Germany are back in the spotlight following the attack on Christopher Street Day (CSD) in July. Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig (SPD) has said she would like to see the German constitution expanded to better protect LGBTQ+ residents. “I am for expanding Article 3, Paragraph 3, of the Basic Law to include a ban on discrimination based on sexual identity,” Hubig stated in an interview with Rheinische Post. Currently, LGBTQ+ people in Germany are protected against discrimination by the General Act on Equal Treatment (AGG). The Act was adopted in 2006 when EU anti-discrimination directives were incorporated into German law. Source: iamexpat
Greens call for European alternative to Palantir
To inhibit crimes, the Baden-Württemberg state parliament approved the use of automated data analysis using Palantir software. With a “solution made in Baden-Württemberg,” the Green Party calls for an European alternative by 2030. The Greens also remind that the Ministry of the Interior concluded a contract with Palantir in March 2025 without their knowledge or consent, with a contract which costs around 25 million euros and runs for five years. An early withdrawal is not possible, which means the money goes to Palantir regardless of whether the Police Act is now amended. Source: gruene-landtag-bw
Not a murder, and no racism
“For 13 years, I was not allowed to visit my son Ayoub in Germany,” says Kheir Eddine F. “It is only now that I have a visa.” The pensioner’s statement followed the verdict regarding his eldest son’s death. The court sentenced 26-year-old Daniel F. to ten years in prison for the manslaughter of Ayoub F. In determining the sentence, the court followed the prosecution’s recommendation, which had argued for a conviction and explicitly considered the “defendant’s xenophobic attitude” (despite the attempt to consider the case as self-defense). A commemoration for Ayoub F., a victim of racist hate-fueled violence, is scheduled to take place at the Festival Against Racism in Uelzen. Source: taz
Dead after restraint?
On January 6, 2024, Ibrahima Barry, 26, was in a shelter for refugees in Mülheim an der Ruhr, showing signs of mental distress. The security staff called the police. The bodycam footage processed by the investigative agency Forensis—obtained by MONITOR—reveals what apparently happened. Police officers, summoned to calm the situation, tased Barry, and the recording from the first bodycam was cut off. Footage from a second bodycam showed Barry a short time later lying face down. He was taken to the hospital in cardiac arrest, dying that same night. MONITOR has obtained a police information sheet from North Rhine-Westphalia showing that training explicitly warns against the risk of fatal asphyxiation during prone restraint. Source: tagesschau
VW joins the defense industry
Military hardware could soon be mass-produced at the Volkswagen (VW) plant in Osnabrück. According to BILD, an agreement with a defense company is imminent. The state of Lower Saxony—a shareholder in the automaker—is expected to play a central role in this arrangement. As reported by the news agency Bloomberg, the Israeli defense contractor Rafael Advanced Defense Systems plans to manufacture support equipment for the “Iron Dome” air defense system in Germany. Realizing this partnership requires an organizational workaround, though. VW’s major shareholder Qatar reportedly objects to the Israeli company’s involvement. Consequently, there is talk of the state of Lower Saxony taking over parts of the Osnabrück plant and establishing a joint venture. Source: bild
Bundeswehr wants to recruit tech-savvy gamers
Germany’s military aims to have 260,000 active-duty soldiers by the year 2035. Defense has become a priority for Germany in the face of the current global security situation. One of the places for recruiting for the Bundeswehr is at Gamescom, Cologne’s video game trade fair. In 2025, for instance, two-thirds of its non-industry visitors were male, with over 40% of them between the ages of 16 and 25—precisely the young people the “Bundeswehr” tries to reach. The German Federal Defense has had a stand at Gamescom since 2016. However, Gamescom is still a video game trade show, as organisations such as the German Peace Society and United War Resisters note, and not everyone is comfortable with the Bundeswehr getting close to the gaming world. Source: dw
