NEWS FROM BERLIN

To those who drink inside: Syndikat reopens

Two and a half years after its eviction, the Neukölln neighbourhood kneipe Syndikat is back. On Friday evening, the bar at Emser Straße 131 near the Neukölln S-Bahn station will welcome patrons again. The collective is taking over the former premises of the alternative culture pub Laika. Unlike the old pub in Weisestraße, there will be a large non-smoking room. Also, it will probably “no longer be completely noisy until 9 o’clock in the morning, but maybe only until 5 o’clock”. Central, however, is still the idea of being in close exchange with the neighbourhood, “and supporting each other.” Source: taz

16-year-old attacked during election campaign in Berlin

During the Berlin election campaign, a 16-year-old was attacked and confronted with Nazi slogans while distributing information material of die Linke Party in Rummelsburg. According to sources and witness statements, the youth had distributed flyers in the immediate vicinity of a die Linke election booth on Friday, a police spokesperson said on Saturday. He then stuck a leaflet on a residential building wall after which a 56-year-old man hit him on the hand. The 56-year-old man then joined a group of people who shouted national socialist slogans. A 50-year-old man also gave the Hitler salute to police officers who had been alerted. Source: bz

Strike on Wednesday paralyses all areas of BER Airport

The trade union ver.di called on all employees to stop work this Wednesday. Around 35000 passengers were effected with every flight cancelled. The employees of the ground handling services, the airport company FBB as well as aviation security were called to an all-day work stoppage, the responsible ver.di secretary Enrico Rümker announced. The strike is prompted by parallel collective bargaining rounds for which no solution has yet emerged in any of the three sectors. The ver.di demands wage increase of 500 euros more per month, considering the area of ground services and the airport company FBB. Source: tagesschau

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Germany to send tanks to Ukraine

Germany announced yesterday that it will send its Leopard-2A6 tanks to the Ukrainian army. While Germany will send 14 and in total 90 of the German-made tanks will be sent from other EU countries, something which was impossible without the permission of the German government. Many questions still remain, such as other possible military support for the country engaged in a brutal war with Russia. Along with the Leopard tanks from Germany, the US announced also on Wednesday a commitment to send air defence systems as well as tanks. This points towards a change in strategy for the allies of Ukraine. Source: taz

Neo-Nazis initiate protests against local refugee shelters

It is not only in Saxony that extreme right-wingers are returning to the issue of refugees and their accommodation now that the Corona restrictions have expired. In Franconia (Franken) there have been rallies held in Scheßlitz and Breitengüßbach against refugees, organised by the neo-Nazi III.WEG. This thematic change from Corona to refugees is to seen by many extreme right-wing movements. Yesterday in Scheßlitz, protesters marched along the main street for the second time this year. The gathering was led by Roger Kuchenreuther, a long-time activist of the neo-Nazi III.WEG. The organisers did not hide their political background. Party flags and typical signs stating “against asylum flood” were carried. Source: endstation-rechts-bayern

Democratic demonstration and a broken nose

In Lützerath, alongside a defeat in the fight against climate change, many have left with physical injuries. As A.´s family (his family does not want to be named) travelled by car to the demonstration in Lützerath on the morning of January 14, the mood was good. In the aftermath of the protests, the initiative “Lützerath lebt” reported 145 injured demonstrators. A. is one of those 145; a six-second video on Twitter displays a policeman beating his face. He came away with a broken nose, for taking part in a democratic demonstration. All this to protect a private property of RWE. Source: taz

No return from Afghanistan

Somewhere in Afghanistan, 29-year-old Qais R. is hiding from the Taliban. 5000 kilometers away, in the security of the Frankfurt district of Bockenheim, R.’s fate is being decided. In 2021, R. was deported to Afghanistan on the second to last plane forcibly removing people from Germany to Afghanistan. Today, no one is forcibly deported to Afghanistan, the situation there is far too dangerous. But what about the people who, like Qais R., had the misfortune to be brought back shortly before the change of power? Isn’t the situation just as dangerous for them? Lawyers have brought a case to the court and a judge will announce their decision next Tuesday. Source: fr

No Wagenknecht Party

The MP Sahra Wagenknecht (die Linke) met in Berlin with influential supporters in mid-January to agree on the timetable for founding a new. The outcome was inconclusive as they do not want a split in the Left. However, it is also true that the Karl-Liebknecht-Kreis Brandenburg (KLK) was founded three and a half months ago, and already formed its own marching block at the Liebknecht-Luxemburg demonstration in Berlin, some days ago. Fellow die Linke MP Niels-Olaf Lüders says that he, at any rate, is not working towards a split. On the contrary, he co-founded the KLK to counter dissolution and to persuade disappointed members from leaving the party. Source: nd-aktuell

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Berlin Greens want to invest in “heat transition”

Berlin’s Green Party wants to invest two billion euros in modernizing and expanding the heat supply for the city. The aim is to use the money to promote climate-neutral heat supply by the end of this legislative period (2026). For instance, the party plans on setting up a bonus program for the installation of heat pumps. They also plan to renovate buildings, making the state-owned housing associations accountable for their cost efficiency. However, such plans are waiting for the results of the February election. Source: rbb24

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Pistorius “wants to make the Bundeswehr strong”

The future Federal Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius (SPD), to be appointed on Thursday, wants to involve the members of the Bundeswehr “very closely” in the modernization of the troops. On Tuesday in Hanover, the politician assured the public he would stand up for the soldiers. He said he was very happy to take on the office and was aware of its importance in difficult times. The tasks for the troops are enormous. He acknowledged that the resigning minister, Christine Lambrecht (SPD), had made a start on the reorganization of the Bundeswehr. Source: taz

Raid on journalists

Police in Freiburg searched “Radio Dreyeckland” (RDL) on Tuesday morning. According to a press release, several search warrants issued by the public prosecutor’s office in Karlsruhe were executed. The background is a preliminary investigation on “suspicion of a violation of a ban on association.” The reason for the search was an article written under the abbreviation “FK” from August 2022 which linked to the “criminal organization” Linkunten Indymedia. After Fabian Kienert, RDL´s editor, outed himself as the author of the article and handed over the laptop used for it, the officers left. Kienert sees this as blackmail and an “unprecedented intrusion into editorial secrecy.” Source: nd

Lindner writes off East

On Tuesday, the Federal Fiscal Court (Bundesfinanzhof, BFH) heard the case of a married couple from Bavaria who consider the so-called solidarity surcharge unconstitutional and want to see it abolished. Originally, the federal government wanted to send a delegation to the appeal proceedings in Munich to defend the “Soli.” However, nothing came of it: the previous week, Lindner decided to keep his department out of the dispute – to the annoyance of the SPD and Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, who want to stick to the levy. The outcome of the case is considered open. Source: jW

Minimum wage shows its effectiveness

Raising the statutory minimum wage to twelve euros was a key promise of the SPD in the last federal election. “People who work all day must be able to live from their work without additional support.” Previously, the trade unions and the Left Party fought for a significant increase in the statutory minimum wage. Before the rise, many warned that employers would reduce workers’ working hours because of it, which is why they would not necessarily earn more money in the end. According to a study from the Hans Böckler Foundation, employers did not react in this way for the most part. Source: nd

Greta Thunberg in Lützerath

Police briefly took Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg into custody during new protests near the evacuated West German village of Lützerath. Journalists watched as three police officers carried the 20-year-old away and set her down after a good 50 metres to conduct an identification check. The police confirmed Thunberg was part of a group that had moved towards the edge of the Garzweiler II open-cast lignite mine. After the operation, Thunberg and other activists were released. Coal-fired power plants played a major role in Germany’s failure to meet its own climate targets last year. Source: dw

Scholz: the future belongs to renewable energies alone

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) affirmed the compatibility of the green transformation with Germany’s preservation as a major industrial nation. “Whether you are a business leader or a climate activist, a security policy specialist or an investor – it is now crystal clear to all of us that the future belongs to renewable energies alone,” he said. By 2030, around 400 billion euros would be invested in renewables in Germany alone. The Chancellor also contradicted the impression the success of German industry in the past had largely depended on the purchase of cheap gas from Russia. Source: faz

NEWS FROM BERLIN

The new election and the “ex nunc effect”

Parties are again allowed to distribute flyers in Berlin, because on February 12^th the vote for the Abgeordnetenhaus will be held for the second time in 18 months. The reason is well known: the first attempt in September 2021 was botched. Missing ballot papers, closed polling stations, and far too long queues – the list of mishaps was so long that the Constitutional Court of Berlin declared the elections invalid last November. Nevertheless, the Federal Constitutional Court declared the invalidity has an ex nunc effect: “It does not apply to the past, but to the future.” Source: ntv

Berlin takes over costs in case of energy disconnections

Sharp increases in energy costs are causing payment difficulties for many people in Berlin. Starting next week, however, those affected can get money from a hardship fund. This fund is intended to help people with low and medium income who can no longer pay their electricity or heating bills because of current price developments. Affected private households can apply to have their energy debts taken over. This applies to both threatened and already executed energy disconnections. The entire procedure can only be completed digitally, via an online form on the state portal berlin.de in the service area. Source: rbb24

Why small wind turbines are rare in Berlin and Brandenburg so far

Small wind turbines have so far led a shadowy existence in Berlin and Brandenburg. Ambitious projects on high-rise buildings or radio masts have failed due to difficult building laws. Approval is often complicated because building law makes no distinction between large and small wind turbines. However, Mowea GmbH, a spin-off start-up of TU Berlin, has two wind turbines on the roof of its headquarters at Storkower Straße 115A, coupled with a solar system. And a pilot project, at Frankfurter Allee 218, is about to start: its four planned small wind turbines on the high-rise roof are expected to receive approval soon. Source: rbb24

Around one in five of those arrested in Berlin are minors

Almost 150 people were arrested by police in connection with disturbances in Berlin on New Year’s Eve. According to the police, one in five of them was a minor. A total of 355 criminal and administrative offence proceedings have been initiated. In 89 cases, investigations are underway for violation of the Weapons Act, in 47 cases for dangerous bodily harm. Because many of the attacks happened against the fire brigade and police, politicians understand the social structure of the perpetrators as one of the sources of violence and demand better integration efforts for migrants in Germany. Source: rbb24

NEWS FROM GERMANY

The fight for every metre begins

The announcements of the Aachen police, who are responsible for the operations in the Rhenish lignite mining area, sounded reassuring: from January 2^nd, there would be an increased police presence around Lützerath, but the eviction would only start from January 10^th. But this Monday, the situation for the squatters in Lützerath turned out to be quite threatening. Several hundred police officers had taken up positions around the site of the Garzweiler II open-cast lignite mine. Journalists reported difficulties in getting to Lützerath, which was hindered by the police. Attacks by the police on arriving activists were also alleged. Source: nd

Long investigation against Björn Höcke

Two experts in criminal law have criticized the slow investigations by the public prosecutor’s office in Halle against Björn Höcke, the leader of the AfD party in Thuringia. The public prosecutor’s office has been investigating the right-wing extremist for around 19 months because he used the banned SA slogan “Alles für Deutschland” (All for Germany) in 2021. It is important to note that, according to section 86a, the use of signs of unconstitutional and terrorist organizations is punishable by a prison sentence of up to three years or a fine. Source: taz

Beetles against the motorway

It is not only in Lützerath in North Rhine-Westphalia that an occupation by climate activists could be evicted next week. Environmentalists are also facing decisive days near Frankfurt am Main. They have long been protesting a transportation project that has its origins back in the 1960s. The Riederwald Tunnel, a project from the Autobahn Era, was planned to relieve congestion in the city, but this is considered uncertain, not to mention the loss of life quality: local recreation areas such as the Fechenheim Forest, the Teufelsbruch and the Riederwald would be destroyed or massively damaged by the motorway project. Source: nd

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Berlin judge and former AfD MP resigned from civil court after arrest

Among the suspects arrested in the nationwide raid against the far-right “Reichsbürgerszene” (Reich citizen movement) is Berlin judge and former AfD member of parliament Birgit Malsack-Winkemann. Due to her arrest, Malsack-Winkemann is for the time being no longer performing her duties of the Berlin Regional Court. According to a spokesperson the Judge resigned on Wednesday from Civil Chamber 19a, which is responsible for construction affairs. AfD leadership has said it knew nothing about the alleged activities of former Bundestag member in the so-called `Reichsbürgermilieu’. Source: tagesspiegel

Expropriation of real estate corporations in Berlin possible says expert commission

The expert commission for the implementation of the referendum “Expropriate Deutsche Wohnen und Co” (DWenteignen) considers the expropriation of large real estate companies to be possible. This is the conclusion of the “interim report” produced by the commission, which was set up in April. The 13 members of the committee have said the proposed law is financially feasible and the state would have the ability to implement it. In addition to the legal feasibility, the interim report also deals with the question of financial compensation for the real estate groups potentially affected. Source: tagesspiel

“Reich citizens” in Brandenburg and Berlin

In Brandenburg and Berlin the Reich citizen movement gained new followers during the Corona pandemic. Police and constitutional protection authorities estimate a total of 1,300 “Reichsbürger” and self-governors live in the region. The danger posed by this radicalised movement and its affinity for weapons had been known for a long time and had been pointed out again and again, said Berlin Senator of the Interior Iris Spranger (SPD) in the Interior Committee on last Monday. Spranger also named a whole series of groups that belong to the movement such as “Staatenlos.info”, “Gelbe Westen Berlin”, “Verfassungsgebende Versammlung” and “Vaterländischer Hilfsdienst”. Source: rbb

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Fired because of Palestine trip

The media and political hunt against public figures in Germany who stand up for Palestinian rights has claimed a new victim. The former presenter of the children’s channel (KiKa), Matondo Castlo, announced the channel has decided to no longer work with him. “So I’m out” wrote Castlo on Instagram. Since 2021, the actor and social pedagogue has entertained viewers of the channel for children and young people operated by ARD and ZDF. The 29-year-old’s “undoing” was his participation in a youth festival organised by the left-wing Palestinian People’s Party in the village of Farkha near Nablus on the West Bank in July this year. Source: jW

Who might benefit from simpler naturalisation

Compared to other European countries, Germany lags behind in naturalisation. With the proposed reform, Syrians and Turkish people living here could apply for German passports. Up to now, conditions such as having lived in the country for eight years, and being financially self-supporting, among others, are necessary for naturalisation. Also, as a rule, new Germans must renounce their previous citizenship. But the country is reconsidering some requirements, such as the latter. In particular, it means it would be possible for migrants of Turkish origin, who make up the largest share of the German population with a migration background, to obtain dual citizenship. Source: dw

Xenophobic attack in Karlsruhe

An unknown man assaulted a 14-year-old with a knife in Karlsruhe in a xenophobic attack last Saturday. According to police, the youth left a shopping mall area near Marktplatz in Karlsruhe with others at around 6.10 pm. An unknown man then approached them, threatening and xenophobically harassing them. The suspect was holding a knife and stabbed the 14-year-old with it. Afterwards, the unknown man insulted and threatened other passers-by on Karl-Friedrich-Straße. The perpetrator was able to flee. The youths informed the police, who are now looking for witnesses. Source: bnn

Letter from a “Last Generation” activist

Activist Miriam Meyer, who is currently sitting in cell 105 in Stadelheim Prison, has written an open letter to us “on the outside”, sharing with us her motivations and beliefs related to the movement. She speaks emotively of “Helplessness and a plan that could work, a lot of desperation and a little hope, an orange high-visibility waistcoat and a few tubes of superglue”. She also criticises the Germany Government: “Chancellor Scholz is currently telling the climate conference what Germany is doing for the climate while at the same time building new fossil fuel infrastructure”. For her, it is imperative to stand against this. In her words, “Not resisting is the worse alternative!” Source: letztegeneration