NEWS FROM BERLIN

Thousands of people demonstrate against the war in Gaza

A pro-Palestinian demonstration marched from Invalidenpark in Berlin towards the Tiergarten district last Saturday. The number of registered participants was 10,000, while the police spoke of around 4,000 demonstrators. At the start of the rally many people shouted: “Freedom for Gaza” and “Freedom for Palestine”. The protest was announced as a silent march, however – no slogans were to be shouted for 15 minutes around 4 pm out of respect for the victims in Gaza. The police also had issued conditions in advance, read out by a demonstration leader. Among other things, no flags or other objects were to be burnt. Source: rbb24

Olympia ’36: when German megalomania craves renewal

The 2036 Olympics in Berlin are being seriously discussed. But… a new Olympic bid from Berlin? The discussion has been going on for years. When the Greens and, above all, the Left Party were in government in the German capital, this was more difficult to implement. However, arguments about a “green Olympics” show the extent to which history has been forgotten. The discussion also highlights the Eurocentric worldview behind some campaigns against the Olympics or football World Cups organized in countries of the Global South. Source: telepolis

Berlin Senate agrees on Tempelhofer Feld law

After weeks of dispute, the black-red Senate in Berlin has agreed to amend the Tempelhofer Feld Act. As Senate spokeswoman Christine Richter confirmed, the “Refugee Task Force” headed by Governing Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) was able to seal the agreement on Tuesday. Environment Senator Manja Schreiner (CDU) will now introduce a new bill, which the Senate is expected to pass in a week’s time. The number of temporary refugee accommodations on Coumbiadamm will be increased, but the use of an area to the southwest of the airport building on Tempelhofer Damm is now off the table. The CDU particularly wanted to build social meeting places for refugees there. Source: rbb24

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Höcke top AfD candidate in Thuringia

Björn Höcke will lead the Thuringian AfD into the 2024 state election campaign as its top candidate. The 51-year-old Höcke was elected first on the list with 187 votes in favour, 26 against, and two abstentions at a meeting in Pfiffelbach near Weimar. There were no opposing candidates. The entire list still has to be voted on as a package at the meeting, which will last several days. Höcke, who is the state party and parliamentary group leader in Thuringia, reiterated his goal of participating in government. The AfD wants to “pose the question of power” in the state elections. Source: junge Welt

Outrage after a Taliban speaks at German mosque

German politicians demanded answers after the head of Afghanistan’s food and drug body spoke in Cologne. Abdul Bari Omar was previously in the Netherlands for a World Health Organization (WHO) event. The event in the German city was held by an Afghan cultural association at the Chorweiler Mosque, whose umbrella organization, DITIB, sharply criticized the incident. The Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) also objected, affirming that “nobody is allowed to offer radical Islamists a stage in Germany.” “We protect many refugees from Afghanistan from the oppression of the Taliban,” she added. Source: dw

The Left Party: ready for the European election campaign

The Left Party is entering the European election campaign with party leader Martin Schirdewan and former sea rescuer Carola Rackete as its top duo. A party conference in Augsburg confirmed both with a large majority. They are running in a team with the trade unionist Özlem Demirel and the public assistance doctor Gerhard Trabert. The party’s European election programme focuses on asylum, climate protection, redistribution and disarmament. “Die Linke” is hoping for a fresh start after the break with Sahra Wagenknecht’s wing. The European elections will take place in Germany on 9 June 2024. Source: SZ

Top protestant church official resigns

Theologian Annette Kurschus, the head of Germany’s largest national protestant church federation (EKD), abruptly resigned both from her national post and as the most senior cleric for the region of Westphalia. She declared that recent reports of her knowing about alleged sexual abuse by a church employee years ago, in Siegen, were unfounded. Kurschus said the issue had nonetheless led to her decision to resign. She mentioned that the decision was a difficult one, affirming that the loss of public trust meant she could no longer help in the church’s work dealing with historical cases of sexual abuse. Source: dw

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Thousands take part in demonstration in Berlin

A pro-Palestinian demonstration marched through Berlin-Mitte last Saturday afternoon. More than 8,500 people took part in the protest. The march was “mostly peaceful”, police spokeswoman Anja Dierschke told the rbb.  The demonstration was loud, but the atmosphere was not heated. According to the authorities, around 1,400 police officers were on duty throughout the day in connection with the Middle East conflict. Contrary to the demands of the police union, there was no support from other federal states. Since the 7th of October, there have been repeated rallies in the capital. According to the police, a total of 45 pro-Palestinian demonstrations have been registered, 20 of which have been banned. Source: tagesschau

NEWS FROM GERMANY

No street for Kurt Goldstein in Dortmund?

Anyone who is no longer very young might remember Kurt Julius Goldstein, tirelessly active against Nazis. Goldstein was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit. He was surprised at the time, as a “German, Jew and communist” would not usually be honoured, he said. Now, 16 years after his death, commemorating him is controversial. In Dortmund, his hometown, a tiny new street is planned to be named after him. The naming should have been decided last week, but it was pointed out that Goldstein had “also held high offices in the SED regime in the GDR,” a revelation that apparently led the CDU to reconsider and postpone the decision. Source: nd-aktuell

German voters see antisemitism on the rise

Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck (Greens) caused a stir when he posted a video with a speech in which he warned of growing antisemitism in the country — among Islamists, right-wing extremists, but also “in parts of the political left.” Habeck stressed that criticism of Israel’s policies is permitted in Germany, as is standing up for the rights of Palestinians. However, “antisemitism should not be tolerated in any form — none whatsoever.” The politician seems to have hit a nerve: the pollster infratest dimap recently conducted a survey among eligible voters and found out that 52% of respondents believe there has been a rise in antisemitism. Source: dw

Warning strikes announced in the state-level public sector

Due to the wage dispute in the public sector, state employees will be called out on warning strikes and protest actions in the coming days and weeks. This was announced by the ver.di trade union last Friday. Schools, university hospitals, the police, and the administration of justice will be affected. For Berlin, Hamburg, and Bremen, unions are demanding a monthly state allowance of 300 euros. The demands thus tie in with the wage agreement reached in April of this year for the federal government and local authorities. The unions demand 10.5% higher income, but with a minimum increase of 500 euros. Source: rbb24

Germany set to tackle refugee issues

Germany is reexamining its refugee policy, and Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) is under pressure to make changes. So far in the current year, more than 200,000 migrants have made their initial applications for asylum. In October, 600 of Germany’s 11,000 municipalities took part in a survey conducted by Mediendienst Integration together with migration researchers from the University of Hildesheim. Among the outcomes, almost 60% of them described the situation as “challenging, but still feasible.” But 40% percent report being “overloaded” or even said they were “in emergency mode.” The lack of accommodation is just one factor, together with a shortage of administrative staff and related infrastructure. Source: dw

Super-rich, please pay!

The SPD wants to create one million new jobs by 2030 with a large-scale climate-neutral reorganisation of the economy. In a key motion adopted on Monday for the upcoming federal party conference, the party’s executive committee proposes a state “Germany Fund” that would activate private capital and create an annual investment volume of 100 billion euros. “We have presented a comprehensive plan for the modernisation of Germany,” said party leader Lars Klingbeil. The SPD wants to reform income tax, inheritance tax, and gift tax, as well as the debt brake. The super-rich should also pay additional taxes. The Left Party criticised the proposal as an election campaign tactic. Source: taz

Germany agrees cuts for energy transition, NGOs fear lower standards

With a wide range of measures to cut red tape and ease licensing procedures, Germany wants to speed up investments in and construction of renewable power installations, among others. Following a meeting with all 16 state premiers, Chancellor Olaf Scholz hailed the agreement on a “Pact for Germany” as a landmark achievement. He also said Germany could no longer afford such a bureaucratic approach if it wanted to get infrastructure projects done faster. However, environmental groups are concerned the compromise could ultimately undermine environmental protection by reducing citizens’ abilities to participate and shrinking the room for legal intervention by conservationists. Source: cleanenergywire

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Potsdam and Berlin housing costs´ranking

Living in Potsdam and Berlin is more expensive than the German average, but still not as much as in other major German cities. This is shown in a study by the employer-affiliated Institute of the German Economy and the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development. According to the study, prices in Potsdam are 6.6 per cent higher than the average, in Berlin 5.5 per cent. Potsdam is in 29th place in the ranking of the most expensive districts, Berlin in 38th place. Housing costs are by far the highest in the city of Munich, almost 81 per cent higher than the national average. Source: rbb

Bomb threats at Berlin Hauptbahnhof

The alarm was raised at Hauptbahnhof at three o’clock last Tuesday morning. The threat came in the form of an email received by Deutsche Bahn. Police immediately deployed additional emergency services but, upon investigation, determined that there was no immediate threat to passengers. This was not an isolated incident. Several institutions across Berlin were threatened last Monday and Tuesday, including schools, media outlets, embassies and the Willy Brandt House, an official building of the SPD. Further investigations are now being carried out by Germany’s state security agency, who suspect that these acts were politically motivated. Source: exberliner

Last Generation with mass blockade on Straße des 17. Juni

Hundreds of climate activists blocked the street Straße des 17. Juni at several points last Saturday. The police spoke of about 600 participants, Last Generation of 1,400. Members of the group Extinction Rebellion from the Netherlands were also part of the mass blockade under the slogan “Stop the fossil subsidies!”. Around 160 activists stuck themselves to the road – and not only with glue, but also with a sand mixture. However, protesters in one lane also stepped aside to let an emergency vehicle pass. The police used pain holds several times, a reporter for the Berliner Zeitung reported. One demonstrator screamed in pain and shouted “proportionality” as he was carried away. Source: Berliner Zeitung

Relief after Wagenknecht era

The plans of Bundestag member Sahra Wagenknecht for a new party are causing an unusual movement in the membership statistics of the Berlin Left Party. Within a week, 64 people joined the Left Party in Berlin and 29 left. Both figures were significantly higher than usual. Berlin’s Left Party leader Maximilian Schirmer said that he did not expect such a large exodus from his party because of Wagenknecht’s decision. The party presented a statement, saying it considered her decision to be a “relief”. It added that the left will once again focus on its programme and put social crises centre stage. Source: nd-aktuell

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Stateless people in Germany

The German government wants to make naturalisation easier with a new citizenship law. But for the roughly 126,000 stateless people living in the country, nothing will change. Christiana Bukalo, 29, born in Germany but stateless, talks about it and how everyday life can become a challenge at any time. Whether its opening a bank account, booking a hotel, getting married, pursuing a career as a civil servant — you need an ID for everything. But which state will issue you a passport if you have no nationality at all? Source: dw

I grew up in Bosnia, amid fear and hatred of Muslims. Now I see Germany’s mistakes over Gaza

The author of this article, writer Lana Bastašić, recalls her experiences as a child in Bosnia. 28 years after the Dayton peace agreement, she believes there is no such thing as peace after an ethnic cleansing. Bosnia is still deeply divided. People can’t agree on what to call the language spoken. War criminals are venerated on all sides. In her article she calls attention to the mention of the word “Palestine” in Germany, risks getting someone accused of antisemitism. Any attempt at providing context and sharing facts on the historical background to the conflict is seen as crude justification of Hamas’s terror. Source: guardian

Scholz: opinion comes from the poll

It is astonishing to see the choice of words with which some politicians are now using to talk about immigrants and language used by Chancellor Scholz has recieved critism. Politicians (mostly men) who were themselves in power with their parties not long ago, people like Carsten Linnemann, Friedrich Merz or Jens Spahn, speak particularly loudly and with particularly little empathy. Those three, by the way, hold similar party credentials as Angela Merkel. As Chancellor, she founded what is now suddenly being called “unbridled” or even “illegal migration”. An interview Scholz gave to “Der Spiegel” shows his 180-degree turn. “We must finally deport on a grand scale,” read the title with a determined looking chancellor. Source: nd-aktuell

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