NEWS FROM BERLIN

Berlin: compulsory green roofs to come

The regulation is to come into force from 2024. The concept behind this is called Schwammstadt Berlin. But although the sponge city concept is becoming increasingly important in view of climate change, it is not yet the subject of the planned amendment to Berlin’s building code. This emerges the Senate Department for Urban Development answer to a question by FDP parliamentary group leader Sebastian Czaja. It is planned some exceptions such as for small roofs with a size of up to 30 square metres, which will be to be exempt from the greening obligation. Source: Berliner Zeitung.

NEWS FROM GERMANY

“We are not Putin”

Since the war in Ukraine started, there have been increasing reports of hostility against Russian-Germans and people with a Soviet background. At the LMU University Hospital in Munich, for instance, a doctor refused to treat Russian patients as outpatients. The hospital distanced itself in a press release on Wednesday, explaining that it was “a single, personal opinion sent in a very emotional situation”. Due to the war, many also avoid speaking Russian in public – out of shame and anger about the attack, but also out of fear of exclusion. But one has to differentiate: “We are not Putin. Russia is not Putin either”. Source: taz.

Brandenburg environmental agency approves Tesla factory

The time has come: the Brandenburg State Environmental Agency on Friday has issued its approval for the Tesla factory in Grünheide, with numerous conditions. According to Environment Minister Axel Vogel (“die Grünen”), the operating permit can only be issued after the conditions have been met. The first Teslas made in Brandenburg are expected to roll off the assembly line at the end of March. The establishment of Tesla in Grünheide is the first large-scale project in Germany to combine climate neutrality with the creation of additional industrial jobs, but conservationists and residents fear environmental damage. They consider the water supply to be at risk. Source: rbb.

An army without a goal

The 24th of February 2022 marks the end of illusions. The drama in Ukraine has the potential to change the way Germans view the Bundeswehr. But it is by no means certain a turning point will occur. Skepticism towards the military is deeply rooted in the political self-image of the Federal Republic. By 1990/91, having reached the end of history, there seemed to be no need for soldiers anymore, with Germany since then taking part in foreign missions. Even now, with the country allocating more than 2 percent of the gross domestic product to defence, it remains questionable what will follow that. Source: taz.

Amazon workers stage 2-day strike in Germany

The trade union Ver.di calls on workers at six Amazon warehouses – in Rheinberg, Werne, Koblenz, Bad Hersfeld (two hubs) und Leipzig – to strike for better pay. The days, Monday and Tuesday, coincide with Equal Pay Day and International Women’s Day, at six Amazon warehouses in Germany. The union’s most important demand is for Amazon to formally recognize collective labor agreements in the retail and mail order sectors. In response to Ver.di’s demands, the online retail giant insisted even without a fixed wage agreement it was still a good employer. Germany is Amazon’s second-biggest market, just after the USA. Source: dw.

Operation Observation Cologne has not been a pleasant place for the AfD

When the party held a conference there in 2017, more than 10,000 people opposed the meeting of delegates. The city also meant the beginning of the end for the then-party leader Frauke Petry. And, now, although the AfD does not have to expect any major protests, their reception will be frosty. Since Tuesday, nothing less than the future of the party is at stake. The Cologne Administrative Court will decide on several lawsuits filed by the AfD against the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV). Source: nd. 

NEWS FROM BERLIN

“My son was ripped off by an S-Bahn inspector”

Maxim P. (15) was travelling with a friend in the city centre of Berlin when he was pulled over by a ticket inspector in the S-Bahn. His school ticket, he says, was stuck in the winter jacket he was wearing at home the day before. The boy was hopelessly overwhelmed by the situation, according to his mother Nadine P. He allegedly told the ticket inspector that he did not have 60 euros with him. The ticket inspector replied: “If you give me the 40 euros from your wallet now, you don’t have to pay the 60 euro fine. And, still, he received the fine. Source: bz

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Campaign for a rent cap in Potsdam

The initiative Mietendeckel Potsdam on last Friday discussed how Potsdam residents can be convinced of a rent cap for the city’s housing stock in the coming months. The initiative, which was launched in June last year, wants to use a citizens’ petition to limit rent increases at the municipal landlord Pro Potsdam to a maximum of one per cent in five years. The initiative includes the alliance “City for All”, the Left Party and the voter group “Die Andere”. For a successful citizens’ petition, the alliance must collect the signatures of at least ten per cent of those eligible to vote. Source: nd

Hundreds of thousands for peace

Düsseldorf, Kiel, Munich, Dresden, Rostock, Berlin: in dozens of German cities there were numerous protests against the war in Ukraine over the weekend. By far, the largest protest action in terms of numbers took place in Berlin on Sunday. An alliance of trade unions, churches, initiatives, environmental organisations and peace groups had called for the demonstration. The organisers spoke of hundreds of thousands of people who had gathered under the slogan “Stop the war. Peace for Ukraine and all of Europe” against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Several manifestants also opposed attempts to use the escalation in Ukraine to increase the arms budget in Germany. Source: nd

Liquified Natural Gas terminals to be built in Germany

So far there is not a single terminal for liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Germany. But Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) announced the construction of two LNG terminals in Germany in the Bundestag on Sunday. He named Brunsbüttel and Wilhelmshaven as locations. The announcement came as a surprise on Lower Saxony’s North Sea coast. This could significantly reduce emissions at sea and on the coast. However, LNG has lacked demand from the business community in Germany, so far. Among other issues, because of the fierce global competition and thus its high price. Source: nd

100 billion for the Bundeswehr

After the announcement by Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) to provide a special fund of 100 billion euros for the German armed forces, the shares of several defence companies have shot up sharply. In addition to the German companies Rheinmetall, Hensoldt and Thyssenkrupp, the British defence company BAE Systems, the French company Thales and Europe’s largest aerospace company Airbus, whose defence division makes it the second-largest defence company in Europe, are also currently posting rising share prices. Overall, the tightened sanctions against Russia over the weekend have further weakened the financial markets. However, market reactions to the war in Ukraine sparked by Russia have been manageable so far. Source: fr

Fridays for Future for Ukraine

“We ask all brothers and sisters of Fridays For Future to take to the streets with us for the end of this war and to fight for peace in our name,” Ukrainian activists wrote on Twitter. With that request, several students and workers from many countries are following them and calling for a protest this Thursday. Here in Germany, Fridays local groups from Braunschweig, Lübeck, Munich, Hamburg, Berlin and Cologne have registered protests so far, and more are to follow. “Time is running out, the situation is changing by the hour,” Luisa Neubauer said, explaining the reason for holding the event on a Thursday instead of the usual Friday. Source: taz

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Hundreds of people show solidarity with Dilan in Berlin

When Dilan was beaten up in Berlin, no one intervened. Now hundreds of people declared their solidarity with her and other victims of racist violence at a demonstration. The teenager herself was also there last Sunday. According to the police, the demonstration started at the Greifswalder Straße S-Bahn station with about 800 participants. This was significantly more than the number registered. There were banners where was written “Racism is not an opinion, but a crime,” or “Racism has many faces, but all of them are ugly”. Meanwhile, Berlin’s Interior Senator Iris Spranger said “Such cases are first and foremost shocking, and they must not happen.” Source: rbb.

“Everything that happened before has been exceeded”

“Antonia” has not yet subsided. Nevertheless, the Berlin fire brigade draws a first conclusion of the storm’s nights. Fire chief Karsten Homrighausen spoke of a “mammoth task” for the firefighters. The Berlin fire brigade has been called out on 4,000 occasions since Thursday because of the storm. A record of 15,000 emergency calls were received in 88 hours. Otherwise, there were 2,500 emergency calls in 24 hours. At the same time, a peak of 1,000 firefighters were on duty, including many volunteers. Almost 150 fire engines were manned. The scale of the disaster was “beyond anything we have ever seen before”, Homrighausen said. Source: rbb.

Protests in front of Russian embassy in Berlin

Following the invasion of Russian troops into eastern Ukraine, several groups in Berlin have announced protests in front of the Russian embassy. The Berlin police registered three registered events so far. President Putin has declared his intention to recognise the independence of the self-proclaimed “people’s republics” in Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine. In response to the invasion, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) said on Tuesday the certification of the gas pipeline “Nord Stream 2” would be temporarily suspended. Also, politicians in Berlin and Brandenburg have strongly condemned the latest Russian actions in the Ukraine conflict. Most of them accused Russia of breaking international law. Source: rbb.

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Almost all COVID measures to be scrapped by March 20 in Germany

From March 20 on, most COVID restrictions are to be relaxed. Some federal states have already pressed forward with lifting 2G restrictions in non-essential shops, where patrons will just need to wear a medical mask, unless exempt. Some contact restrictions will also be scrapped. From March 4 onwards, 2G rules would be replaced by 3G rules in restaurants. Nightclubs will also be allowed to reopen, under 2G plus rules. From March 20 (the “Freedom Day”), there is a chance the only restriction that will stay in place is the obligation to wear a mask indoors as well as on public transport. Source: I am Expat.

South Africa finally wants vaccine patent release

South Africa’s President has called for a patent release for Corona vaccines during a joint European Union (EU) and African Union (AU) summit. It is unacceptable that Africa always has to take a back seat when it comes to medicines, said Cyril Ramaphosa, the AU representative for the Corona pandemic. Donations alone are not a sustainable way to build resilience, said Ramaphosa again. During the two-day summit, it was announced patent-free mRNA vaccine will be produced in six countries in Africa. But this is not enough for South Africa as the country wants the patent release. Source: rnd.

Hardliner’s Pact: Seal the Borders and Deport

That’s the agenda of a two-day “repatriation conference” that began on Monday at the Hofburg in Vienna. Ministers from 23 Schengen and Western Balkan states, representatives of the EU border protection force Frontex and other EU authorities as well as the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) met at the invitation of the Austrian government, which is known for its restrictive migration policy. The right-wing conservative Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) and his German counterpart, the Social Democrat Nancy Faeser, demonstratively presented themselves as quite aligned. Source: jW.

AfD politician causes criticism with statements about trans MPs

AfD deputy party and parliamentary group leader Beatrix von Storch has sparked much criticism across party lines with remarks about trans Bundestag member Tessa Ganserer (“die Grünen”). In a debate on International Women’s Day in the Bundestag, von Storch first accused the majority of MPs in the Bundestag of adhering to a “gender ideology”. Then, using the deadname of MP Ganserer, von Storch said the politician remains a man and if she enters the Bundestag as such “via the Green women’s quota and is listed here as a woman, that is simply illegal”. Source: Zeit.

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Dilan Sözeri and the racist attack

Several drunken men and women racially harassed Dilan Sözeri on the tram, some days ago. She had the presence of mind to film parts of the attack with her mobile phone. No bystanders intervened, as can be seen on the mobile phone video. Many  press outlets have presented the situation though as Sözeri was attacked because she was not wearing a mask. However, the 17-year-old, who has been hospitalised since the attack with a concussion, abdominal trauma and several bruises, does not want to let this go. Source: jW.

Life in the “Thermo”

According to a social study, the Lichterfeld “Thermometer” housing scheme needs “special attention”. Poorer people in Berlin are increasingly being pushed out of the inner city into the outskirts. This mainly affects Hartz IV recipients. According to research, in 2020 there were 35,000 fewer Hartz IV recipients living in the districts of Mitte, Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg and Neukölln than in 2007. In outer districts such as Spandau, Marzahn-Hellersdorf and Reinickendorf, however, the number of Hartz IV recipients increased by 28,000. The concentration of child poverty has increased dramatically in some Berlin neighbourhoods such as Reinickendorf, where about 6,000 people live, and the area around Maulbeerallee in Spandau. Source: Berliner Morgenpost.

Building without demolishing

Berlin was not her “place of choice”, but “one of the most fateful events of her life”, says the new Berlin Senate Building Director Petra Kahlfeldt (no party affiliation, for SPD). However, her appointment received sharp criticism in an open letter published on the website of the architecture and urbanism magazine “Arch+”. According to the letter, the architect does not stand for “participatory planning processes” and was co-author of a “Charter for Berlin’s Mitte” from 2014, which called for “extensive privatisation of public land” in the centre of the capital. Whether Kahlfeldt will be able to assert her convictions remains to be seen. Source: nd.

Rainbow flag and Hartz IV benefits canceled

The Berlin-based unemployment aid organisation “Ya Basta” reports on a case in which a job centre canceled the benefits of a recipient of unemployment benefit because of a rainbow flag attached to his balcony. The authority cited the flag as the reason the man formed a “community of need” with his flatmate, i.e. that he had an intimate relationship. In such cases, the authorities reduce or cancel the money that recipients of the basic income support would be entitled to if they were single. It remains the Job Centre’s secret why a rainbow flag on the balcony says anything about the relationship status of the person concerned. Source: queer.

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Neo-Nazi march mars Dresden remembrance

77 years ago, up to 25,000 people lost their lives in a bombardment during World War II in Dresden. Meanwhile, in the city center, hundreds of neo-Nazis gathered to the sound of Wagner to “honor” those victims of war. According to police, at the Heide cemetery, the homage passed by without problems. Near Dresden’s Old Town, though, less than three kilometers from the commemoration, around 750 neo-Nazis gathered on Sunday morning, holding banners to “remember Dresden’s war dead.” And, at the Zwinger Palace, hundreds of counter-protesters loudly opposed the far-right “silent march,” which was accompanied by shouts of “Nazis out”. Source: dw.

Jörg Meuthen leaves parliamentary group in the European Parliament

Former AfD leader Jörg Meuthen has left the Identity and Democracy Group in the European Parliament. “A group that tolerates a head of a delegation who defiles the memory of someone who has just died makes it completely impossible for me to continue as a member,” he said. This week, the AfD members of the European Parliament elected Nicolaus Fest as their new leader. The election took place despite the scandal surrounding Fest’s remarks following the death of the Socialist President of the European Parliament, David Sassoli. Fest wrote about Sassoli, among other things: “Finally this filthy pig is gone.” Source: Zeit.

Wake-up call for the peace movement

The danger of war in Europe is greater than it has been for decades. But  slowly the peace movement seems to be waking up quite slowly. Calls for diplomacy instead of warmongering in the Ukraine crisis have found numerous prominent signatories from politics, academia and culture in recent days. The appeal “Ukraine crisis: peace policy instead of war hysteria!” by the initiative “Never again war,” helmed by the well-known peace activist Reiner Braun, was signed by more than 6,000 people within a week until last Monday. Protests on the streets are also being planned in the coming weeks. Source: jW.

NEWS FROM BERLIN

New route on the Marggraf Bridge will probably not be built after all

The Left Party (“die Linke”) and the Berlin Passenger Association Igeb called for a demonstration on the Marggraff Bridge between Baumschulenweg and Schöneweide. Their aim is to ensure trams will still be able to cross the Spree in the future, given that this has become extremely unlikely after a serious planning error became known this week. The culprit is a group of public authorities, who once again torpedoed the expansion of public transport and could prevent the area in south-east Berlin from being better connected in the future. The project, valued at 175 million euros, is intended to significantly improve local transport in the area. Source: Tagesspiegel.

A100 blockades by activists lead to long traffic jams

Several blockades by environmentalists of exits of the Berlin city motorway in Tempelhof led to long traffic jams. In the meantime, the Britz motorway tunnel in Neukölln was also closed. The police temporarily arrested 13 demonstrators or took their personal details for charges. Protesters from the “Essen Retten – Leben Retten” initiative are demanding an end to food waste. They blocked the exits Tempelhofer Damm, Alboinstraße, and Sachsendamm during rush hour on Tuesday morning. Videos on the internet showed enraged and sometimes aggressive drivers trying to pull or drag sitting or lying blockaders off the road. Source: rbb.

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Instead of arms deliveries to Ukraine, Germany will send field hospital

Germany’s defense minister stated that sending arms to Ukraine would not be helpful in defusing the current situation as fears of a Russian invasion continue to mount. “We are standing on Kyiv’s side. We have to do everything to de-escalate. Currently, arms deliveries would not be helpful in this respect; there is agreement on this in the German government,” said Minister of Defense Christine Lambrecht. In addition, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told a news conference that in recent years, “Germany has not supported the export of lethal weapons.” Though arms deliveries are off the table, Germany does plan to send a field medical facility to Ukraine in February, Lambrecht said. Source: DW.

Corona deniers, Westernhagen and his song “Freiheit”

In 1990, Marius Müller-Westernhagen’s rock ballad “Freiheit’ became an anthem of liberation from the GDR dictatorship and German reunification. Most recently, however, opponents of vaccination, “lateral thinkers” and Corona deniers played the cult song during their protest marches against the Corona measures. The singer himself did not want to comment on this for a long time, as reported by “Deutschlandfunk”. On Friday evening, however, the 73-year-old made a clear statement: on Instagram and Facebook, Westernhagen posted a photo showing him being vaccinated. The rock star added just one word: “Freedom”. Source: rnd.

Anti-fascism as an enemy

Last July, the Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD) wrote a guest article for the magazine Antifa of the Vereinigung der Verfolgten des Naziregimes – Bund der Antifaschistinnen und Antifaschisten (VVN-BdA). In it, the then party leader of the Hessian SPD declared, after threatening letters of an “NSU 2.0”, the party should not back down from this. Since the VVN is listed in the Bavarian report on the protection of the constitution as “influenced by left-wing extremists”, politicians (CDU/CSU and the AfD), and the Springer press, now accuse her of having published in an “anti-constitutional paper”. Source: jW.

Asylum after five years of uncertainty

It took five years, but now the Venezuelan Refugee Commission (Conare) has come to a positive decision about the asylum application of the German leftists Thomas Walter and Peter Krauth. The refugees, who fled Germany 27 years ago, now have an unlimited right to stay in Venezuela. For the fellow campaigner Bernd Heidbreder, the decision came too late: the 60-year-old died of cancer last May. They allegedly tried to blow up a deportation prison. After 23 years in illegality, Walter and Krauth can now get in touch with their relatives again. Source: nd.

Baerbock expresses dismay at “war in the middle of Europe”

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock visited the frontline between Ukrainian government troops and the Russian-backed separatists to find out about the situation in the conflict region of Donbass. She returned from this visit with “very depressing feelings,” saying people there have lost everything from one day to the next. Once again, Baerbock spoke out in favour of a diplomatic solution to the conflict. Baerbock threatened Moscow at the same time: “Any further aggression would have massive consequences for the Russian side.” Baerbock met representatives of the Ukrainian government in Kiev on Monday, again underlining Germany’s support for the country. Source: Tagesspiegel.