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

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