NEWS FROM BERLIN

Thousands march in pro-Palestine demo from Kreuzberg to Neukölln

Thousands of people gathered for a pro-Palestine demonstration in Berlin on Saturday. The march began at Oranienplatz in Kreuzberg, and it quickly grew to several thousand participants. Around 6pm, the police declared the demonstration over at Hermannplatz in Neukölln. Many demonstrators were still there late in the evening.  In the meantime, the police had cordoned off Sonnenallee and Karl-Marx-Straße with water cannons, among other vehicles. Because of anti-Israeli statements glorifying violence, the police had stopped the demonstration and banned the loudspeaker van. According to the police, Arabic was used to shout that the whole world should burn. Source: rbb24

German chancellor condemns attack on Berlin synagogue

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) strongly condemned a firebomb assault on a synagogue in Berlin last Wednesday. A couple of hours after the attack, when police were already investigating the incident, a 30-year-old man approached the synagogue on a scooter, which he threw aside, and began running toward the building. When police officers detained him, he resisted and shouted anti-Israeli slogans. Scholz, who was speaking to reporters during a trip to Egypt on the same day, said that Germany would not accept violent and antisemitic protests and that the protection of Jewish institutions would be further increased. Source: AP

Praying against general distrust

“Every Jew should be able to feel safe here,” says Imam Taha Sabri from his wooden pulpit, addressing his congregation. “Every Palestinian should be able to feel safe here.” And unequivocally he clarifies: “We condemn the attacks on Jewish institutions in Berlin” as well as “all attempts to disrupt peaceful coexistence in Berlin.” Several hundred men of different origins and ages crowded the Dar Assalam Mosque to listen to Sabri offer Friday prayers. The Imam came to Berlin from Tunisia in 2005, and since the Hamas attacks on October 7, he has been trying to pacify the situation in Neukölln. Source: taz

More than 10,000 people show solidarity with Israel

More than 10,000 people gathered to show their solidarity with Israel at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on Sunday, according to the police. The organisers even speak of 25,000 participants. At the beginning of the event, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (SPD) called on all citizens to protect Jewish life in Germany. The last speaker to take the stage was Berlin’s Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU). Israel’s right to exist and defend itself is non-negotiable, he stressed in his speech. Almost all parties and religious communities as well as trade unions and employers’ associations took part in the demonstration initiated by the German-Israeli Society. Source: rbb24

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Housing crisis hits university students in Germany

As the temperatures drop and students head to universities for the start of the winter semester, tens of thousands of undergrads and postgrads alike find themselves without long-term housing and little to no prospect of a bed in student dorms or a reasonably priced flatshare. Earlier this year, a study by the Eduard Pestel Research Institute found a shortage of more than 700,000 apartments in Germany, especially in the affordable range. To help ease the situation, Germany’s coalition government announced a federal subsidy of €500 million in 2023 as part of the youth housing scheme “Junges Wohnen.” Source: dw

Wagenknecht and Co. resign

Sahra Wagenknecht and nine other MPs have resigned from the Left Party. For the time being, they still want to remain members of the party fraction in the Bundestag. Wagenknecht said that one of her core concerns was to widen the range of opinions in Germany. Among her followers there is Amira Mohamed Ali, the former leader of the Left Party in the Bundestag. The new party will emerge from the already-founded association BSW (Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht). The official founding of the party is planned for January, said Lukas Schön, managing director of the BSW association. Source: taz

Payment cards for refugees

“This is money from German social security funds, the money should stay here,” said Dietmar Woidke (SPD) at the Minister Presidents’ Conference in Frankfurt am Main. Brandenburg’s Minister President advocates the introduction of a card that would allow refugees without their own bank accounts to make cashless payments. According to Woidke’s plan, this would be done under the watchful eye of the social welfare office. It is still unclear to what extent it will be possible to withdraw money with the chip card. In the case of the “social card” planned in Hanover, neither restrictions nor transfer checks are planned. Source: nd-aktuell

NEWS FROM BERLIN

“Free Palestine” banned

The war in Israel and Gaza was felt once more on the streets of Berlin. A pro-Palestinian demonstration by the association “Jewish Voice for a Just Peace in the Middle East”, registered last Saturday, was banned. As the board member Iris Hefets explained, she stood on Hermannplatz with a poster that read: “As a Jew and an Israeli: stop the genocide in Gaza”. The police tried to prevent her from doing so, but Hefets insisted that “as an individual, she has the fundamental right to freedom of expression”. In the end, she was able to hold up her sign. Source: taz

Police break up protest in Neukölln again

Police acted against crowds in Berlin-Neukölln in connection with the Middle East conflict. According to a police spokeswoman, up to 150 people gathered on Sonnenallee. The atmosphere was heated. Pyrotechnics were set off and bottles were thrown, the spokesperson said. The pro-Palestinian network Samidoun shared a video showing people waving Palestinian flags. Since the attack on Israel, pro-Palestinian demonstrations have been repeatedly announced – and banned – in Berlin. The police justify this with security concerns. Some see an encroachment on freedom of expression. Berlin’s police chief, Barbara Slowik, said the police would continue to be on the move with strong forces. Source: tagesschau

Police apparently surprised by massive mobilisation

Berlin police were apparently surprised by the mobilisation to the Palestinian demonstration last Sunday evening, at Potsdamer Platz. Around 50 demonstrators were enrolled for the evening, but soon there were more than a thousand demonstrators. An experienced police officer said she had never experienced such a dynamic influx. The Interior Senator Iris Spranger (SPD) said, “We have many families of Arab origin in the city who want nothing to do with Hamas. We must not forget that.” They would also give signals that they are trying to influence against extremist aspirations. Spranger stressed, “We have to do massive education in day-care centres and schools.” Source: Spiegel

Sanders in Berlin

Last Thursday, Bernie Sanders, the American Senator who almost single-handedly reawakened the American left, was in Berlin, talking about his new book: ‘It is OK to be angry about Capitalism’. In the run-up, there had been some uproar over Sander’s statement on the attacks in Israel. He stated again that what Hamas had done was despicable and set back the peace process. He went on; Israel had the right to react rigorously to the attacks, but he hoped that the children in Gaza could be spared. With the attacks, extremists on both sides who believe in violence are now on the rise, and that is a tragedy. Source: taz

Berlin slips again in digitisation ranking

In a comparison of the “smartest” cities in Germany, Berlin has once again slipped down the ranking. In the “Smart City Index 2023”, of the digital association Bitkom, the capital is currently only in 24th place – down from 11th in 2022. Two years ago, Berlin was still among the top ten. This year, the German capital achieved a total of 71 out of 100 points in the current ranking. For the current index, Bitkom evaluated data on all 81 cities with at least 100,000 inhabitants. Among the various areas, Berlin performed best in mobility, getting the 4th place. Source: rbb

NEWS FROM GERMANY

More prejudice, more violence and growing fear

Anti-Semitism is a growing problem in Germany. The war in Middle East exacerbates it. The Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) expects therefore a wave of anti-Semitic protests against Jewish institutions and synagogues. The federal government’s anti-Semitism commissioner, Felix Klein, also fears that anti-Israeli tendencies could grow, especially in schools. According to the German Teachers’ Association, anti-Semitism is on the rise. This is also confirmed by Samuel Salzborn, Berlin’s anti-Semitism commissioner. Not only is “Jew” a widespread swear word in schools, but hatred of Israel has also increased significantly in schools over the last ten to 15 years. Source: deutschlandfunk

Pro-Palestinian demonstrations: under general suspicion

How can Palestinians in Germany actually take to the streets the demand that Israel, in its response to the Hamas massacres of civilians, should in turn spare civilians? In recent days, numerous demonstrations by Palestinians have been banned, with reference to possible anti-Semitic and inciting statements. These have undoubtedly taken place; nevertheless, it is wrong to infer a general suspicion from this. In view of what is currently happening in Gaza and what is threatened, Palestinians also have reason to be afraid, to mourn and to demand support from the international community. Source: nd-aktuell

Musk shares AfD election call and exchanges blows with German foreign ministry

US multi-billionaire Elon Musk took on Annalena Baerbock’s (B90/ Greens) foreign ministry on “X” (formerly Twitter) on Friday 29 September, sharing a call to vote for the Alternative for Germany (AfD). The post linked to a video by the propaganda account “Radio Genoa” which spread the racist conspiracy narrative that the German government was supporting the NGO Sea Rescue in bringing about a ‘European suicide’. “Let’s hope that the AfD wins the elections,” the post continues. Radio Genoa uses vocabulary based on the racist and anti-Semitic conspiracy narrative of the “Great Population Exchange”, widely used by right-wing extremists. Source: FR

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Right-wing demonstration in Berlin on German Unity Day

On October 3^rd around 5,000 right-wingers and Alternative for Germany (AfD) supporters gathered on Museum Island for a protest which was seemingly in favour of “Transparent Political Dialogue.” However, according to Taz, some participants openly declared their hostility towards the reunified Germany, chanting “East East East Germany”. Police presence at the event was minimal. A police spokesperson did confirm that arguments between the demonstrators and passers-by took place. Around 50 individuals from the left-wing group “Omas gegen Rechts” had a counter-protest nearby. Source: exberliner

GEW calls for three-day warning strike

The Berlin Education and Science Union (GEW) has called for a teachers’ warning strike, from next Tuesday to Thursday. The union wants smaller classes in schools. Currently, up to 29 children learn in a primary school class, and up to 35 in secondary schools. For teachers, this means grading piles of class tests, writing more reports, and having many discussions with parents. The Berlin education administration and the financial administration call the strike irresponsible, asking the union to suspend it since the Senate is already using possibilities to improve the staff situation at schools. Source: rbb24

NEWS FROM GERMANY

‘No evidence’ of attack on AfD leader Chrupalla

German prosecutors and police issued a statement last Thursday there was “no evidence” to suggest there was an attack on Alternative for Germany (AfD) co-leader Tino Chrupalla. According to the statement, Chrupalla had been taking selfies with several people at an event, when contact with others was involved. He was found to have “a surface-level redness on his arm as well as swelling.” The AfD earlier said Chrupalla was involved in a ‘violent incident’ but police said there’s no evidence of an attack. The incident came before the key state elections in Bavaria and Hesse. Source: dw

Bavaria and the draft law for legalising cannabis

Cannabis is likely to be legalised in Germany in 2024, but politicians in Bavaria are planning to limit its availability. Last week, the Bavarian Health Minister, Klaus Holetschek, announced that the local government would set up a “central cannabis control unit” once legalisation has been enshrined. Considering procedures, the draft law is expected to return to the Bundestag for tweaks before being read by the Bundesrat. According to Holetscheck, the government in Bavaria plans to “submit a motion to reject the bill” in the Länderkammer. However, Karl Lauterbach (SPD) said such action will not stop that law since it does not require the approval of that chamber. Source: iamexpat

AfD achieves record results

Beaming broadly, AfD leader Alice Weidel roared into the microphone amid applause. “We are on the right track!” she shouted at the election party, once again underlining the course of fundamental opposition. Meanwhile, the first projections of the state elections in Bavaria and Hesse caused shockwaves nationwide. In its soaring popularity, the AfD benefited from a strong focus of the public debate on migration and from other right-wing populist campaigns, especially in Bavaria with a lot of populist competition from Markus Söder (CSU) and Hubert Aiwanger (Free Voters). The AfD instrumentalises fears of social decline and provides racist answers to social distribution efforts. Source: taz

Hesse and Bavaria: The Left departs into the unknown

If one thing can be said about the elections in Bavaria and in Hesse, it is that federal policy issues were the determining factor. Together with the fact that CDU/CSU has shown a populist pose – whether done by Markus Söder or Friedrich Merz. And the Free Voters owe their success to the people who cheer for a reactionary and self-righteous beer tent speaker. Considering such scenarios, the most delicate point comes from the Left Party, which struggles for its existence in Hesse. What is being witnessed is a farewell in chapters into the unknown. Source: nd-aktuell

Self-made defeat

The CSU in Bavaria and the CDU in Hesse won the state elections with comfortable margins, and the incumbent minister-presidents Markus Söder and Boris Rhein can look forward to another term in office, although, in Söder’s case, with the worst CSU result ever. In contrast, the SPD, the Greens, and the FDP, who govern together in the federal government, are experiencing a double defeat. In Hesse, where the SPD announced a change of government with aplomb in the spring, it clearly chose the wrong candidate: Nancy Faeser could not separate herself from the office of Federal Minister of the Interior. Source: taz

Around 60 members of the Left call for Wagenknecht’s expulsion

Almost 60 party members of the Left Party have filed a motion for the expulsion of Sahra Wagenknecht from the party. The reason is that Wagenknecht has been hinting at founding a new party for several months. In the motion, she is accused of “particularly damaging and disloyal behaviour” towards the Left Party. However, excluding Wagenknecht from the party could jeopardise the Left’s parliamentary group status in the Bundestag. In the 2021 Bundestag elections, the party fell short of the five-percent hurdle but was able to enter parliament thanks to winning three direct mandates, two of them in Berlin. Source: rbb24

NEWS FROM BERLIN

The 29-euro ticket to return in 2024

The 29-euro ticket is coming back to Berlin. In 2024 passengers in the capital will once again be able to use buses, trains and trams as often as they want for just under 30 euros a month, as the supervisory board of the Berlin-Brandenburg Transport Association (VBB) announced last Thursday. As before, however, the ticket is only valid for the AB fare zone. The Berlin Senate has not succeeded in reaching a more far-reaching agreement with neighbouring Brandenburg. The Supervisory Board also extended the social ticket: Berliners who receive social benefits will continue to pay nine euros per month for this subscription. Source: berlin.de

Environmental concerns at the Brandenburg Tesla factory

When Tesla built its Giga factory in Grünheide, Brandenburg, more than a year ago, opinions were mixed. Was this a daring move towards an environmentally friendly future of green vehicle manufacturing, or an ill-thought-out project from an entrepreneur with a poor record of adhering to safety regulations? The latest news suggests the latter, with Tesla reporting 26 environmental accidents at the German plant since work began. According the Tagespiegel, separate events have seen the leak of 15,000 litres of paint and 13 tons of aluminium being spilled, among others. Source: Exberliner

Lights in public buildings in Berlin to remain off

Since summer 2022, many public buildings in Berlin have remained in the dark due to energy-saving measures. In fact, up to 40,000 euros could be saved in a single year. The measure is to continue for at least another year. The Senate already decided this last March and it has now reaffirmed, the continuation until September 2024. The buildings that will continue to be illuminated are those with protocol obligations, such as the City Hall, or objects with a hazard classification (for instance, the Jewish Museum and the New Synagogue). Source: rbb

NEWS FROM GERMANY

German reunification: “completed, but not perfect”

The 3rd of October saw the 33rd aniversary of the reunification of East and West Germany. The Minister of State for East Germany, Carsten Schneider, praised the economic upturn in the former East in a DW interview. Schneider also highlighted pension levels were adjusted to be equal across Germany in 2023. On the other hand, challenges such as the downward trend of the number of people of working age in East Germany in decades to come, together with the feeling many eastern Germans have of being deceived in the reunification process, show that there are still things to do. “Reunification is completed, even if it is not perfect,” concluded Schneider, considering the 33-year-old reunification needs to be fully realised in people’s minds. Source: dw

Harshest sentences for “Last Generation”: activists sent to prison

The Heilbronn District Court sentenced two men and one woman to prison terms of five, four and three months without probation. According to the public prosecutor’s office and activists, the sentence is the harshest so far imposed on members of the “Last Generation” in Germany. The sentence is not yet legally binding. The activists stated in the trial that they had wanted to draw attention to what they saw as inadequate measures to combat climate change with the protest action. Meanwhile, an activist from the “Last Generation” in Berlin was able to successfully defend herself, winning an appeal in the administrative court. Source: merkur

Latest employment figures: “autumn revival” weaker

The number of unemployed in Germany fell slightly in September compared to August. The rate fell by 0.1 percentage points to 5.7 per cent, as the Federal Employment Agency (BA) announced last Friday. Compared to the previous year, BA counted 141,000 more unemployed. “The incipient autumn revival turns out to be comparatively small this year,” BA board member Daniel Terzenbach said when presenting the figures. “Unemployment and underemployment are decreasing, but less than usual in a September.” In the past three years, the number of unemployed had fallen by an average of about 95,000 in September. Basically, however, the German labour market remains stable, Terzenbach said. Source: ndr

NEWS FROM BERLIN

“Deutsche Wohnen & Co. Enteignen” announces second referendum

Two years ago, a referendum on the expropriation of large real estate companies in Berlin was successful – but it has not yet been implemented. The initiative “Exporpriate Deutsche Wohnen Co.” has announced a second referendum to socialize large landlords. This time the people of Berlin will vote on a socialisation law, as representatives of the initiative announced on Tuesday at a “public press conference” in front of the Rotes Rathaus. This should prevent the senate from delaying the implementation of the request, as the initiative has repeatedly accused the state politicians of doing. Source: rbb24

Cycling infrastructure: Berlin’s war on bikes begins

The CDU government in Berlin, which had used drivers’ rights as a wedge to win big outside the Ring in the last election, wants to reward their motorist voters. Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) declared that he opposes bicycle lanes that slow down cars. The party’s bike-bashing has already prompted furious reactions. This summer, riders mounted huge protest rides during rush hour several times a week, many organised by the group Respect Cyclists. Following the outcry, the CDU relented a little. After reviewing 19 planned new bike paths, Transport Senator Manja Schreiner allowed 16 to go ahead. Source: exberliner

Fight against gentrification on Rigaer Straße

Whenever the media mentions Rigaer Straße, it is usually about the autonomous residents of the Rigaer Strasse 94 house project, the last officially “partially occupied” house in Friedrichshain. In the past there were many other occupations, house projects and left-wing bars there. But gentrification is spreading: last Friday, tenants from the house at Rigaer Straße 15, directly opposite Rigaer 94, protested against the sale and development of their two inner courtyards. According to the residents, these will soon be sold by their landlord and managing director of Mihu Immobilien GmbH, once they receive the building permit. A building application must be submitted by October 17th. For this reason, some of the residents are now mobilizing and seeking contact with neighborhood initiatives and other tenants. Source: nd-aktuell

Wegner wants a fence around Görlitzer Park by early 2024

Security in Görlitzer Park in Berlin has been discussed for years. Now the measures are to be implemented very quickly: a fence around Görli will be in place by the beginning of next year at the latest, according to Governing Mayor Wegner (CDU). The fence is supposed to be a temporary solution: “How long it is needed depends on how the situation in Görlitzer Park develops,” he declared. “If we close Görlitzer Park at night, we will deploy the police forces that are now in the park in the surrounding residential areas, for example in the Wrangelkiez.” Source: rbb24

NEWS FROM GERMANY

AfD loses mayoral race in Nordhausen

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has failed to unseat the incumbent mayor in a runoff election in the central industrial town of Nordhausen. AfD candidate Jörg Prophet won 45.1% of the vote in Sunday’s local polls, while independent candidate Kai Buchmann managed to get 54.9%. Buchmann, formerly associated with the Green party, said he was “very happy” with the result and that he would use the next six years in office to try to “get the best out of it for the city.” Recent polls put the AfD at around 21.5% support nationwide. In Thuringia, where Nordhausen is located, the party is polling at around 32%. Source: dw

Ifo index: “German economy is stalling”

The mood in the executive suites of German business hardly worsened in September. The Ifo Business Climate index only fell slightly by 0.1 points to 85.7 points compared to the previous month, for the fifth time in a row, as the Munich Ifo Institute announced last Monday. Although companies were still dissatisfied with current business, they were less skeptical about their prospects than before. “The German economy is treading water,” said Ifo President Clemens Fuest in an interview with DW. There is not one predominant problem, but a combination of many different causes for the poor economic development, such as less demand for German goods nationally and worldwide. Source: dw