Hello everyone,

This evening (Thursday) at 6pm, Egyptian Diaspora Resists are organising a demonstration outside the Egyptian embassy. Under the title Open Rafah Crossing, the demo is demanding that the Egyptian government open the border with Rafah, provide security clearances for the convoy, and allow in all the aid and fuel needed to end the suffering of more than two million people besieged in Gaza. Gaza needs at least 500 trucks of aid every day. Gaza needs clean water, food, medicine, journalists, and emergency responders. The people of Palestine have no choice but to turn to humanity for help. And we, as people of conscience, have no choice but to do everything in our power to provide that help.

Friday at 7pm, you can join a Palestine Reading Group organised by theleftberlin. Following a dry run with two small reading groups last week, we are well prepared and look forward to meeting in the H48 Projektraum on Hermannstraße 48, which means that there will be space for anyone who wants to attend. We will be gathering together before breaking into small groups. The texts will be looking at Zionism and the foundation of the State of Israel. You can register and access the suggested texts here. The plan is to organise weekly sessions, probably on Fridays, on different aspects of Palestine solidarity. More information in future Newsletters. For the most up-to-date information, follow the Reading Group channel in the Berlin LINKE Internationals Telegram group.

On Saturday at noon, Letzte Generation (Last Generation), Scientist Rebellion, and Eltern gegen Fossilindustrie (parents against the fossil fuel industry) are planning a mass blockade of the Straße des 17. Juni between the Brandenburger Tor and the Siegessäule. Over 1000 people took part in the last blockade. The protest is demanding a just withdrawal from fossil fuels by 2030. If you are interested in taking part in the action, but are worried about getting arrested, you can read legal information in English here. Letzte Generation are our Campaign of the Week.

There are a LOT of other demonstrations on Saturday. We are taking our lead from Palästina Spricht who recommend two of them. At 1pm there will be an anti-war demo from Brandenburger Tor, where Nadija Samour from Palästina Spricht and Iris Hefets from the Jüdische Stimme will be among the speakers. Then at 3pm there is a demo against gendered violence and for a free Palestine at Oranienplatz.

There is much more going on in Berlin, it’s another very busy week. To find out what’s happening, go to our Events page. You can also see a shorter, but more detailed list of events in which we are directly involved in here.

Get your calendars out, as there are a lot of events planned for early December. As well as the planned Demo for Palestine on the 2nd and the weekly reading groups on Fridays, we and our allies are organising the following events:

• Sunday, 3rd December at 4pm: Küfa and Palestine Film Evening, Bilgisaray, Oranienstraße 45
• Monday, 4th December at 7pm: LINKE Internationals Planning meeting and Discussion: Die LINKE – benefits, problems, and alternatives, Ferat Kocak’s office, Schierker Straße 26
• Saturday, 9th December, 2pm: theleftberlin open editorial meeting, Bligisaray, Oranienstraße 45
• Saturday, 9th December from 5pm: Berlin LINKE Internationals Non-Christmas Party, Bilgisaray, Oranienstraße 45
• Sunday, 10th December, 2pm Walking Tour: Red Wedding on the March, meet at Badstraße 38

More information in future Newsletters.

In News from Berlin, thousands more demonstrate in Berlin for Gaza, Berlin discusses hosting the Olympics on the hundredth anniversary of Hitler’s Olympics, and the Berliner Senat overturns the referendum decision banning building on Tempelhofer Feld.

In News from Germany, Nazi Björn Höcke to lead his party’s election list in Thüringen and “pose the question of power”, politicians are outraged that the head of Afghanistan’s food and drug body spoke in Berlin, die LINKE prepares its campaign for the EU elections, and head of Germany’s Protestant Church following claims that she knew about sexual abuse.

Read all about it in this week’s News from Berlin and Germany.

This week on theleftberlin, we publish an open letter signed by several international groups in Germany calling on the German Left to show solidarity with Palestine, Iranian women activists call for Free Palestine, and Nathaniel Flakin talks to Jewish students about why they are afraid of state racism, not Palestinians.

Outside Palestine, Phil Butland looks at the radical artists buried in Berlin, we report from the appearance of Right2theCity (the international working group of Deutsche Wohnen & Co Enteignen and the Berlin Tech Workers Coalition conference, on the opening of a new museum Hari Kumar remembers the revolutionary artist Käthe Kollwitz, and in anticipation of a protest tomorrow, Evan Bernel looks at H&M’s exploitation of Bangladeshi labour.

In this week’s Video of the Week, Berlin-based US-American jew Rachael Shapiro talks about why she supports Palestinian rights.

You can follow us on the following social media:

• Instagram
• Twitter
• We also support the Berlin LINKE Internationals facebook page.

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 please do encourage your friends to subscribe to this Newsletter.

Keep on fighting,

The Left Berlin Editorial Board

Hello everyone,

This evening (Thursday), No Border Assembly are organising a demonstration NO BORDERS means standing for a FREE PALESTINE! While an ongoing genocide is being carried out in Palestine, the German government is doubling down on its colonial alliance with the state of Israel and the racist German border regime. Politicians are calling for the deportation of people committed to a free Palestine and Chancellor Scholz is vowing to start “deporting on a grand scale.” The demonstration starts at Oranienplatz at 6pm.

Because of an overwhelmingly positive response in a very short time, participation in the LINKE Berlin Internationals Palestine reading group on Friday as well as on a second date is now closed. If you’ve registered on the website you should have received an e-mail with more information. If you’d like to come and didn’t make this one, don’t worry! There will be more of these evenings, and have already collected a bunch of materials for discussion. More information in future Newsletters and our Instagram page.

This weekend, the School of Transnational Organizing is arranging its Winter Academy, “Moving at the Speed of Trust”. While most of the Academy is invite only, on Friday night there will be a public film screening and storytelling session, with the filmmakers Christina Antonakos-Wallace and Olga Gerstenberger and the protagonists Tania Mattos and Miman Jasarovski. “From Here” is a film documentary set in both Berlin and New York and directed by Christina Antonakos-Wallace which explores the lives and futures of those who hang in the balance of immigration and integration debates. It starts at 7pm in the Stadtbahn Berlin, and you can register here.

On Saturday, Sumar and the Berlin LINKE Internationals are organising a conversation on repression and censorship in Germany: We need to talk: international solidarity with Palestine. What is going on in Germany with the Palestine solidarity? What about international solidarity within the German and European Left? The development of the last weeks undermines an already fragile basis for the solidarity with Palestine. The meeting starts at 7pm at Café MadaMe, Mehringplatz 10. Speakers include Spanish MEP Manu Pineda.

On Sunday, it’s the latest political walking tour organised by the Berlin LINKE Internationals: 105th Anniversary of the November Revolution of 1918/1919. 105 years ago, an insurrection took place in Berlin. With the general strike of November 9, 1918, workers toppled the Kaiser and ended the First World War. Thus began the November Revolution. Millions of people took to the streets to fight for an end to capitalism. But the Social Democratic Party allied with the imperial military to drown the revolution in blood. Meet at Potsdamer Platz at 2pm next to Espresso House (Potsdamer Platz 10) to find more. People who register will receive a mail with extra information the day before the tour.

On Tuesday, at 7pm, Vincent Bevins, author of “The Jakarta Method”, will be launching his new book: “If We Burn: The Mass Protest Decade and the Missing Revolution” We will discuss with Vincent about the rise and fall of popular movements, our weaknesses and strengths, in order to ultimately ask ourselves: Where is the revolution? And how can we achieve it? The event is in Am Flutgraben 3 behind Festsaal Kreuzberg (left entrance next to the river), It is organised by Bloque Latinoamericano Berlín, who are our Campaign of the Week.

There is much more going on in Berlin, it’s a very busy week. To find out what’s happening, go to our Events page. You can also see a shorter, but more detailed list of events in which we are directly involved in here.

In News from Berlin, Israeli film maker attacked in Charlottenburg, culture organisation which works with refugees loses over a third of its budget, and Berliner Senat wants to ignore referendum preventing building on Tempelhofer Feld.

In News from Germany, demonstrations for Palestine throughout Germany, Germany remember Kristallnacht, Germany prepares for a cold winter, and military aid to Ukraine doubles.

Read all about it in this week’s News from Berlin and Germany.

This week on theleftberlin, we publish an open letter protesting against the Berlin Senat cutting the funding of the oyoun cultural centre for hosting a Jewish organisation, we talk to Udi Raz about being sacked by the Jewish museum for using the term “apartheid”, and Wieland Hoban, chair of the Jüdische Stimme talks about Jewish reactions to the current bombardment of Gaza.

We publish a photo gallery from last Saturday’s march for Gaza, John Mullen reports from Paris on the instrumentalism of antisemitism to attack support for Palestine in France, and Phil Butland argues that Internationals can play a crucial role in overcoming the German Left’s reluctance to support Palestinians.

Outside Palestine, Shav MacKay looks at the proposed German citizenship reform and sees it as a welcome, but very limited, step forward.

In this week’s Video of the Week, Greta Thunberg stands up for Palestine despite attempts to stop her…

You can follow us on the following social media:

• Instagram
• Twitter
• We also support the Berlin LINKE Internationals facebook page.

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 please do encourage your friends to subscribe to this Newsletter.

Keep on fighting,

The Left Berlin Editorial Board

Hello everyone,

There are several demonstrations for Palestine happening this week. The two most important ones seem to be tomorrow (Friday) at 6pm at Checkpoint Charlie called by the Jüdische Stimme and others, and Saturday at 2pm at Oranienplatz, called by Global South United. On Friday, there is also a protest at Brandenburger Tor at 5pm, against the restriction of debate in the German cultural scene, particularly around Israel and Palestine. If you know of any other protests for Palestine, please contact us, and we will include them in our Events page and future Newsletters.

On Sunday, there will be two cultural events in support of Palestine. At midday, Rasha Al-Jundi will be holding a Palestinian embroidery workshop open to those of Palestinian or Arab roots in the city. There will be a €5 charge to cover material costs, and all extra money will go to Gaza. For more information, including the venue, you can register here. Rasha’s workshop Rooted / Verwürzelt is our Campaign of the Week.

Also on Sunday, from 7pm, there will be a Film Screening and fundraiser for Palestine in Bilgisaray, Oranienstraße 45. The Berlin LINKE Internationals will be showing two films – Gaza Calling and My Heart Beats Only for Her. The director of Gaza Calling, Nahed Awwad, will be attending and available to talk about the film. All funds raised will be donated to the Palästina Kampagne, the Kampagne für Opfer rassistischer Polizeigewalt (KOP), and for printing materials (such as posters). If the event is successful, it may be followed by a series of similar screenings.

On Wednesday, at 6pm, Brot für die Welt is organising a screening of the film Temperature Rising. As climate induced disasters are on the rise across Southern Africa, three activists grapple with what thinking globally and acting locally means in practise. Taking place between two major climate conferences – COP26 Glasgow and COP27 Sharm el-Sheikh, Temperature Rising uncovers the barriers to climate action and calls loudly for movement building from below, at a time where the very survival of large numbers of people depends on what activists can get political leaders to do. The film, in the EWDE, Caroline-Michaelis-Straße 1 will be followed by a discussion with the director Rehad Desai. To register, send an email to Jasmin.Skau@Brot-fuer-die-Welt.de.

Also on Wednesday, at 6.30pm, the Tech Workers Coalition is organising a meeting An Introduction to Works Councils. Interested in hearing about what Works Councils are, and what they can do? This session is for you! It will run from 6.30 to 8.30pm (2 hours total) Join us to learn the basics on forming a Works Council, what its role in the company is, hear other coworkers’ experiences and discuss your own situation during the Q&A. This training will be held in person at the ver.di headquarters: The Othello room @ ver.di Paula-Thiede-Ufer 10 10179 Berlin.

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 in which we are directly involved in here.

In News from Berlin, thousands march for Palestine through Berlin.

In News from Germany, CDU opposition to naming a street in Dortmund after a Jewish Communist, Habeck blames left for rise in antisemitism, ver.di announces strikes in the public sector, Chancellor Scholz rethinks Germany’s asylum policy, SPD announce new tax policy, and environmental organisations question government’s new investment plan.

Read all about it in this week’s News from Berlin and Germany.

In other news, the Volksbühne has uninvited keynote speaker Jeremy Corbyn because of his statements on Palestine. Corbyn was supposed to be talking about the EU tomorrow at a conference organised by the Rosa-Luxemburg Stiftung. Lena Fuchs, press spokesperson for the Volksbühne announced “because of the position that Jeremy Corbyn currently holds on the Middle East conflict, we have decided not to offer him any public space in the Volksbühne. You can contact Lena Fuchs with messages of complaint at presse@volksbuehne-berlin.de.

Meanwhile, a group of international activists in Berlin have written an Open Letter to the German Left on Palestine. Before they publish the letter, they are looking for first signatories, particularly international organisations based in Berlin or Germany. If you are a member of such an organisation or can help find signatories, you can contact them at solidaritypalestineberlin@gmail.com. More information in future Newsletters.

This week on theleftberlin, Nathaniel Flakin previews last week’s demonstration for Palestine, we have a picture gallery from that demo, Rasha Al-Junia introduces Palestinian embroidery, and Tareekh Yaadgar looks at German reactions to Palestine.

We also talk to Udi Raz about 20 years Jüdische Stimme in Germany and Shir Hever about boycotts and Israel’s economy, and publish a call for action against the narrowing of space for culture in Germany.

Outside Palestine, Andrei Belibou talks to people from the Bildungszentrum Lohana Berkins, an educational centre by migrants, for migrants.

This week’s Video of the Week shows one of the livelier blocks in last Saturday’s demonstration for Palestine in Berlin,

You can follow us on the following social media:

• Instagram
• Twitter
• We also support the Berlin LINKE Internationals facebook page.

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 please do encourage your friends to subscribe to this Newsletter.

Keep on fighting,

The Left Berlin Editorial Board

Hello everyone,

As Israeli bombs continue to rain down on Gaza, there are several solidarity events with Palestine this week. We urge you to support them as much as you can.

On Friday, there’s a Soli-Evening for Palästina Spricht. In efforts to continue to growing anti-repression costs for Palestine Speaks, the S€x Worker Action Group Berlin is hosting an evening of solidarity at the Failing Femmes House. Join us for an evening of community conversation, performances, breaking bread together, and being in community. The event promises a Soup Küfa and Bar, Community Conversation, and Performances and Music. The address is Karpfenteichstraße 13.

On Saturday, there’s a demonstration Free Palestine will not be Cancelled. Since 7th October, Israel has killed more than 5,000 people in the besieged Gaza strip. In one week, Israel dropped as many bombs on Gaza as were dropped on Afghanistan in a year. Half the population of Gaza are children. Experts warn that Israel’s behaviour fills the definition of genocide in many ways. The demo is called by the Jewish Voice for Peace, Palästina Spricht, and our Campaign of the Week, the Palestine Campaign. It starts at 2pm at Neptunenbrunnen on Alexanderplatz. You are welcome to join international activists, who are meeting at 1.45pm at the Marx-Engels Forum.

Also on Saturday, the Jüdische Stimme – the Jewish Voice for a just Peace in the Middle East – is holding a festival for memorial and hope to mark its 20th birthday. The original plans for a celebration have been changed to reflect the current situation. Alongside music by JS members, there will be spoken contributions and food in the tradition of the Jewish Shiva. The meeting will be accompanied by an art exhibition with pictures by Mohammed Al-Hawajri (Gaza) and Adi Liraz (Israel). It starts at 6pm in oyoun. Order your ticket by sending a mail to mail@juedische-stimme.de.

On Monday, the Berlin LINKE Internationals will be holding an open internal discussion on die LINKE and Palestine. Following a discussion about the coming Events that the group is organising, Palestinian activist and LINKE member Ramsy Kilani will kick off a discussion. We welcome everyone to join this discussion, whether you are a member of die LINKE, the Left Internationals, or just someone who is interested in the debate. It starts at 7pm at Schiercker Straße 26 (Ferat Kocak’s office).

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 in which we are directly involved in here.

In News from Berlin, new study finds rents in Berlin are above average, a series of bomb threats hits Berlin, Last Generation protestors attacked by police, and Sahra Wagenknecht’s departure from die LINKE results in some people leaving the party, and others joining.

In News from Germany, Germany’s new citizenship law does nothing for over 100,000 stateless people, Bosnian author criticises discourse of Palestine in Germany, and Chancellor Scholz calls for mass deportations.

Read all about it in this week’s News from Berlin and Germany.

This week on theleftberlin, we publish a statement by Die LINKE Neukölln against the war and bloodshed in Gaza and Israel, the new Initiative Socialism from Below calls for an end to killing Palestinians and occupation,  Phil Butland reviews a 10 year old film about Gaza which helps explain what is happening now, a photo gallery of last Saturday’s demonstration, Palestinian journalist asks if we can still call Germany a democracy, and Jewish activist Rowan Gaudet speaks to Elisa Baş who was suspended as press speaker of Fridays for Futures Germany for speaking out on Palestine.

Outside Palestine, Jaime Martinez Porro looks at Sahra Wagenknecht’s new party.

In this week’s Video of the Week, we show Ramsis Kilani’s speech for Palästina Spricht at last Saturday’s demonstration for Palestine.

You can follow us on the following social media:

• Instagram
• Twitter
• We also support the Berlin LINKE Internationals facebook page.

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 please do encourage your friends to subscribe to this Newsletter.

Keep on fighting,

The Left Berlin Editorial Board

Hello everyone,

Tonight (Thursday) at 7pm in Schwarzkopfstraße 16, join Febrayer – The Network of Independent Arab Media Organizations and ALFILM – Arab Film Festival Berlin in the screening of the film Gaza Calling. While a genocide is unfolding in front of our eyes in Gaza, broadcasted to far away audiences live on their intimate screens, once and again people from the region are reminding the world that the term “context” is pivotal. Palestinians know all too well that the moment their remains will cease to be on display on national TVs, the interest in their daily pain, suffering and silent killing will disappear. The film will be followed by a discussion with the director Nahed Awwad. You can register here.

Also tonight, Berlin Migrant Strikers are organising a Free Palestine Free Gaza Küfa in Cafe Karanfil. After more than two weeks of conflict, we decided to organize this event to raise funds that will be sent to Gaza and Palestinian political prisoners. The number of Palestinian political prisoners in Israel has doubled since the beginning of the war. Absolutely nothing is known about them and no one talks about them. #standwithzaid #freepalestine #westandwithpalestine. There will also be a solidarity concert for Palestine in Karanfil at 4pm on Sunday.

Starting tomorrow, and going on all week-end, the Women Life Freedom Collective is organising the conference How to Revolution? One year has passed since the murder of Jina Amini and the uprising of people in Kurdistan, Iran, and the diaspora. During this time, numerous collectives, initiatives, and unions have organized themselves. Through general strikes, demonstrations, sit-ins, and daily practices of civil disobedience, people have resisted the system of oppression. A year later, we have reached a critical juncture where we need to reflect and ask ourselves: how do we wish to further organize? Register here to find the venue. The Women Life Freedom Collective is our Campaign of the Week.

On Saturday, at midday, Letzte Generation (LG) are organising a demonstration and blockade of the Straße der 17. Juni from Brandenburger Tor for a stop to the subvention of fossil fuels. We still have one to two years in which we can leave the fossil fuel led path to annihilation. Find your role. LG have said that they want to take to the streets with the whole of civil society. However, there are attempts to get LG to call off the demos to free police to attack people demonstrating against the slaughter of Palestinians.

Speaking of which, the Berlin police continue to ban demos for Palestine, but like mushrooms, they’re popping up everywhere. On Saturday, FRIKO (the Berlin peace coordination) has called a rally at 2pm at the Platz des 18. März. Then at 4pm, there will be a mass protest at Oranianplatz Global South United, after more than 100 years of anticolonial struggle and 75 years of expulsion and apartheid in Palestine, after more than 5 centuries of colonialism in the Global majority! Enough is enough! Please join all protests you can, but we reckon that the one on Oranienplatz will be bigger and more militant. If you do not have permanent residency status, take care.

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, thousands demonstrate for Palestine despite the police banning the loudspeaker van, firebomb attack on a Berlin synagogue, Muslims pray for peace in the Middle East, and a demonstration for Israel at Brandenburg Tor.

In News from Germany, tens of thousands of students have no long-term housing, Sahra Wagenknecht and 9 other MPs leave die LINKE, and SPD propose “social card” for refugees.

Read all about it in this week’s News from Berlin and Germany.

This week on theleftberlin, we once more have a lot of coverage of Palestine. Aisling Salim reflects on how to react to the Hamas attacks, Nathaniel Flakin gives an Ausländer’s perspective on the bans on demonstrations in Germany. Jewish and Palestinian groups respond to the ongoing repression, we publish an open letter in defence of Elisa Baş who has been suspended as Friday for Futures press spokesperson for supporting Palestine, and the interview with Jüdische Stimme board member Udi Raz which die Zeit refused to publish. We also interviewed Iris Hefets about her one-woman protest on Hermannplatz, and give analysis of police suppression of demonstrations by Luis Sanz Jordan and theleftberlin.

In other news, Shav McKay looks at Germany’s new self-determination law for Trans people, and Dimitra Kyrillou reports from Athens on SYRIZA’s shift to the right.

In this week’s Video of the Week, members of the Jewish Bund tell the German government “You do not protect us” and call for an end to the genocide in Gaza.

You can follow us on the following social media:

• Instagram
• Twitter
• We also support the Berlin LINKE Internationals facebook page.

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 please do encourage your friends to subscribe to this Newsletter.

Keep on fighting,

The Left Berlin Editorial Board