compiled by Ana Ferreira

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Berlin police slow to react to right-wing chat group

The police had leads, yet it took more than a year before they acted against a right-wing chat group. It had a striking name, after all: it was called: “Die Eierköppe”. And it was not until this summer that investigators came across the second “Eierköppe” chat group. The “eggheads” are alleged to have sent messages with “inhuman content” from September 2017 to November 2019, including pictures, racist content and anti-constitutional symbols. The investigations into the “Eierköppen” are being conducted by the public prosecutor’s office and the internal police investigation group “Zentral”. The cases involve 32 police officers. Source: tagesspiegel

Strike date set for health workers

This Friday the 100-day ultimatum expires. Neither the Charité nor and Vivantes hospitals nor the Berlin Senate have made any concrete proposal to improve working conditions for non-medical employees. Therefore, the union bargaining committees decided that there will be a strike from 23 to 25 August. Vivantes railed against the work stoppages, affirming the safety and well-being of patients would be “endangered”. Verdi’s position is clear: wherever there is no risk to patients from a strike, the right of workers to strike must be made possible. If the situation does not change, Verdi will call on for a strike ballot on 30 August. Source: jW

Berlin Kulturbrauerei apparently threatened with sale

The Kulturbrauerei is apparently up for sale. It has, according to the owner’s estimates, the sale value of the site is around 150 million euros. This is indeed a possibility, and it would also have the right timing once most of the leases expire at the end of 2021. The building itself, built by Franz Schwechten, is well protected by the historic legislation and in excellent condition – thanks, among other things, to large investments done by the state. But such protection applies only to buildings. If the Senate wants to protect the current users, it must try something else. Source: rbb

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Covid not under control in Germany

In Israel, where the next Covid wave is already there, the number of hospital admissions and corona deaths rises. With a vaccination rate slightly higher than that in Germany, Israel is still far from getting the pandemic under control. We know why this is so: vaccinations do not protect against infection, but against serious illnesses. Meanwhile, in Germany, due to the unwillingness of many to pick up the first or second dose of the carefully tested and effective vaccines, the risk of another wave approaches. It is therefore misleading to keep adding new high-risk areas, as if the situation here is much safer than elsewhere. It is not. Source: taz

Brandenburg is taking over initial reception of Afghans

Brandenburg wants to take over the initial reception of local Afghan forces arriving in Germany. The people from Afghanistan will initially stay at the reception centre in Eisenhüttenstadt for three to four days after their arrival. There, they will be tested for the coronavirus, and receive medical assistance if needed. Meanwhile, the Left Party faction in Brandenburg is calling for a state reception programme for 500 refugees from Afghanistan. Berlin gets ready, too, to take in refugees from Afghanistan. According to the State Office for Refugee Affairs (LAF), there are currently 1,250 places available in Berlin to accommodate refugees. Source: rbb

Former AfD leader charged with tax evasion

Former AfD leader Frauke Petry is once again on trial. She will have to answer for tax evasion and subsidy fraud in an appeal trial before the Leipzig Regional Court. The public prosecutor’s office accused Petry of having received funding for a so-called turn-around consultancy for her company. However, the consultancy was not for the company, but exclusively for the preparation and support of her personal insolvency. In the first instance, the public prosecutor’s office demanded a 30,000 euro fine for subsidy fraud, breach of trust and tax evasion. Source: swp

NSU verdicts finally confirmed

Twenty-one years after the first murder of Enver Şimşek, ten years after the NSU terror was uncovered and three years after the end of the trial, the Federal Supreme Court has now declared the verdicts against Beate Zschäpe and two co-defendants final. The decision rewards the persistent taking of evidence by the Munich Criminal Senate led by Manfred Götzl. Nevertheless, decisive questions about the NSU terror are still unanswered. Among them, how did the trio choose its victims? Were there other helpers? Where did the weapons come from? Did the Office for the Protection of the Constitution know more after all? Source: taz

compiled by Ana Ferreira

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Berliners could get a third vaccination from September

Up to 200,000 Berliners could receive a Corona booster vaccination from September onwards. Initially, this is planned for the very elderly over 80 years of age, people in need of care, and for immunocompromised people. The booster is planned to be given no earlier than six months after the previous vaccinations. Doctors’ surgeries have also been called upon to ensure the vaccinations are administered to those in need of outpatient care. All others in the eligible groups, such as older people who are not in need of care, can also get vaccinated at their doctor’s office. Source: morgenpost

Schools start with rapid tests and vaccinations

Classes started again in Berlin and Brandenburg schools from Monday. For the first time, some schools also offered direct vaccinations. For those over the age of twelve, after the consent of the parents, they can be vaccinated in vaccination centers or by doctors in private practice. However, the special offers for schoolchildren may vary. It is expected that all students in Berlin’s vocational schools aged 16 and over will receive a vaccination offer in the next two months. The mobile vaccination teams would come every day to the schools for this purpose. Source: rbb

NEWS FROM GERMANY

German government U-Turn on Afghan refugees

Due to the dramatic deterioration of the security situation in Afghanistan, Germany will not deport any more rejected asylum seekers there for the time being. This decision shows a radical change of course once only a few days ago Germany has decided for continuing deportations to Afghanistan, at least for criminals. In the meantime, more Afghan employees of the army and the police, who have been granted visas, are coming to Germany. According to the Ministry of Defence in Berlin, around 1,700 of them, including dependents, have arrived in Germany by last Tuesday. Source: dw

Rail strike begins

The train drivers’ union and the Deutsche Bahn (DB) are in conflict. In June, the German Train Drivers’ Union, (GDL) declared that collective bargaining talks have failed, demanding an improved offer from the DB. This is affected by the Collective Bargaining Unity Act (Tarifeinheitsgesetz, TEG). According to the TEG, only the collective agreement of the union with the largest membership counts in a company. In most cases, this is the rival railway and transport union (EVG). Volker Krombholz, GDL Northeast District Manager, declared: “We have proven that we can strike for a long time.” Source: jW

Renovated Lübeck synagogue reopened

After more than six years of renovation, the Carlebach Synagogue was officially reopened on Thursday. The opening takes place in the year in which 1,700 years of Jewish life in Germany is being celebrated. The Carlebach Synagogue, named after its first rabbi Salomon Carlebach, was the target of two arson attacks in 1994 and 1995. Schleswig-Holstein’s Prime Minister Daniel Günther (CDU) spoke out in favour of not hiding Jewish life. “The Jewish faith needs places where it becomes visible – not on the margins, but in the midst of society.” Source: Süddeutsche

compiled by Ana Ferreira

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Berliners could get a third vaccination from September

Up to 200,000 Berliners could receive a Corona booster vaccination from September onwards. Initially, this is planned for the very elderly over 80 years of age, people in need of care, and for immunocompromised people. The booster is planned to be given no earlier than six months after the previous vaccinations. Doctors’ surgeries have also been called upon to ensure the vaccinations are administered to those in need of outpatient care. All others in the eligible groups, such as older people who are not in need of care, can also get vaccinated at their doctor’s office. Source: morgenpost

Schools start with rapid tests and vaccinations

Classes started again in Berlin and Brandenburg schools from Monday. For the first time, some schools also offered direct vaccinations. For those over the age of twelve, after the consent of the parents, they can be vaccinated in vaccination centers or by doctors in private practice. However, the special offers for schoolchildren may vary. It is expected that all students in Berlin’s vocational schools aged 16 and over will receive a vaccination offer in the next two months. The mobile vaccination teams would come every day to the schools for this purpose. Source: rbb

NEWS FROM GERMANY

German government U-Turn on Afghan refugees

Due to the dramatic deterioration of the security situation in Afghanistan, Germany will not deport any more rejected asylum seekers there for the time being. This decision shows a radical change of course once only a few days ago Germany has decided for continuing deportations to Afghanistan, at least for criminals. In the meantime, more Afghan employees of the army and the police, who have been granted visas, are coming to Germany. According to the Ministry of Defence in Berlin, around 1,700 of them, including dependents, have arrived in Germany by last Tuesday. Source: dw

Rail strike begins

The train drivers’ union and the Deutsche Bahn (DB) are in conflict. In June, the German Train Drivers’ Union, (GDL) declared that collective bargaining talks have failed, demanding an improved offer from the DB. This is affected by the Collective Bargaining Unity Act (Tarifeinheitsgesetz, TEG). According to the TEG, only the collective agreement of the union with the largest membership counts in a company. In most cases, this is the rival railway and transport union (EVG). Volker Krombholz, GDL Northeast District Manager, declared: “We have proven that we can strike for a long time.” Source: jW

Renovated Lübeck synagogue reopened

After more than six years of renovation, the Carlebach Synagogue was officially reopened on Thursday. The opening takes place in the year in which 1,700 years of Jewish life in Germany is being celebrated. The Carlebach Synagogue, named after its first rabbi Salomon Carlebach, was the target of two arson attacks in 1994 and 1995. Schleswig-Holstein’s Prime Minister Daniel Günther (CDU) spoke out in favour of not hiding Jewish life. “The Jewish faith needs places where it becomes visible – not on the margins, but in the midst of society.” Source: Süddeutsche

Compiled by Ana Ferreira

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Rolling “Arbeitskampf”

In front of the warehouse of the delivery service Gorillas at Platz der Luftbrücke, ten drivers of the company Gorillas stand in a circle at around 12 o’clock on Saturday, and decided to go on strike. Kağan Sümer, the head of the delivery service, announced after protests in June that he would visit all the company’s warehouses in Germany and get an idea of the situation. This did not happen. As a follow-up, the riders have drawn up a list of demands such as having a luggage rack on the bikes, so that the riders do not have to carry the goods on their backs any more. Source: nd

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Protest against police law in Bavaria grows

Die LINKE wants to file a complaint against the controversial amendment of the Police Task Act (PAG) in Bavaria. The proposed background check for citizens is a particular source of legal controversy. Ates Gürpinar (Die LINKE) stressed that his party considers the background check to be grossly unconstitutional and has commissioned the lawyer Adelheid Rupp to examine a complaint. The PAG has been a contentious issue in Bavaria for years. After long and tough negotiations, the CSU and the Free Voters reached a compromise in December to defuse the law. It is to be discussed again in the Landtag shortly. Source: nd

Farewell to an anti-fascist fighter

With the gaze of lovingly watchful eyes A large crowd of mourning comrades, especially anti-fascists, was expected – and they did not disappoint. Between 2,000 and 3,000 people gathered on and in front of the Jewish cemetery in Ohlsdorf to pay their last respects to Esther Bejarano. In the past week happened countless commemorative events throughout Germany by Die LINKE, the DKP, the VVN-BdA and other left organisations. In Hamburg and other big cities, posters with slogans like “Your struggle continues” could be seen. The religious ceremony was led by a rabbi from the Jewish community, and it was attended by family members and friends. Source: nd

CDU politician Philipp Amthor poses with neo-Nazis

A photo of neo-Nazis and CDU member of parliament Philipp Amthor is causing an uproar on the internet. The picture was posted on Twitter by the account of the Antifascist Left (Antifa) Bochum. The 28-year-old Amthor can be seen at the Stettiner Haff horse festival in Boock in his home state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. In the photo, Philipp Amthor stands laughing between two men, one of whom is wearing a T-shirt showing solidarity with convicted and imprisoned Ursula Haverbeck, who is one of Germany’s best-known Holocaust deniers. Amthor defends himself, saying he did not see what was written o the T-shirt. Source: fr

“Capitalism brought these floods°

Until some years ago, we used to think climate change would be devastating for the coming generations. But this is happening right now. Despite denialists, the flood which swept away some small towns in Germany last week, came because of climate change. And capitalism plays a role here: global temperatures have risen about 1 degree Celsius since the Industrial Revolution. Still, German politicians´ responses are yet (un)surprisingly subdued. They promised for instance emergency aid to rebuild destroyed houses — but how about measures to protect the environment? This might lead us to another issue, if there is an alternative, beyond the rules of market. Source: ExBerliner

Every third Berliner has no right to vote at all

1.3 million Berliners, more than a third of the city´s population, are not allowed to vote in elections to the House of Representatives and the Bundestag, or in referendums. For years, the number of city residents without political representation has been rising. Those without political representation are not evenly distributed across the city: the largest proportion of non-voters, over 70 per cent, is in constituency 415, in Lichtenberg. At the other extreme is constituency 923, in Weissensee, where only 1.4 per cent of residents do not have the right to vote. Source: rbb

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Attac launches campaign for wealth tax

An Attac campaign for the appropriate taxation of wealth started with an action in front of the Frankfurt stock exchange. Under the slogan “Who pays? With wealth tax out of the crisis!”, Attac demands the reintroduction of wealth tax, the reform of inheritance tax as well as a one-off wealth levy to compensate for the burdens of the pandemic. In detail, Attac demands a taxation which prevents a further concentration of wealth in fewer and fewer hands, as well as an inheritance and gift tax, also applied to heirs of large estates, including business assets. Source: attac

Former police chief accused of sexual assault

The ex-head of the Thuringian police union is alleged to have sexually assaulted his former female employee, but it was only after the allegations became known in April, more than a year after the investigations began, that Kai Christ resigned from his post as regional head of the GdP. In June 2021, the public prosecutor’s office in Erfurt closed the investigation against him. Sufficient suspicion could not be established, according to this. However, some questions remain: if Christ is innocent, what is the deal with masturbation videos he sent to the employee? And why did Christ resign only a year after the investigation began? Source: taz

Call for Mini jobs to be scrapped

A new study from the Bertelsmann Foundation, “Get out of the mini-job trap,” is calling for mini-jobs to be abolished. Usually, the system works well for individuals who want a small side income, but increasingly this possibility has also been taken on by individuals with low qualifications and women who want to combine work with family. Among issues pointed outar that this group is not entitled to unemployment benefits. And its workers might not build up an adequate pension, and are at a higher risk of old-age poverty. The economists are therefore calling for low-income workers to be better cushioned, by making social security contributions due. Source: iamexpat

More and more children live in poverty

Child poverty in Germany is growing. This is the central finding of a study from the Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband. While the poverty rate of under-18s was still 18.2 per cent in 2010, it has risen to 20.5 per cent by 2019. The study also examined differences in child poverty between the federal states. For instance, in various western states the issue seems to be bigger in the so-called “new federal states”. The study also warns of a further worsening of child poverty due to the Corona pandemic. The Paritätische demands, among other things, the introduction of a needs-based income-related basic child benefit. Source: nd