NEWS FROM BERLIN

General suspicion applies in Görli

Abdulaye Sow was falsely accused of drug dealing in Görlitzer Park in what his lawyer describes as clear racial profiling. On that day, just before going to the park, he withdrew 400 euros from an ATM – for which the newspaper ‘taz” has published the bank statement. He was then stopped by the police, who took his money and accused him of being a dealer. He was ‘shocked’ the police would accuse a man of being a dealer just because he was sitting near a drug hotspot and had money with him, even though there was no evidence of this. He has since announced that he has lodged a complaint with the police. Source: taz

Number of pupils in Berlin has risen again

Berlin’s schools record an increase in the number of pupils in the new school year. According to preliminary data from the education administration, around 404,000 pupils will be studying at general education schools after the end of the summer holidays, around 9,000 more than in the previous year. Also, the number of young people attending vocational schools has risen from 77,900, exceeding 78,000. The Senator for Education, Katharina Günther-Wünsch (CDU) has said that these figures are related to Berlin being ‘a hotspot for immigration’. There remains a shortage of hundreds of teachers. Günther-Wünsch is working with alternatives such as offering a long-term perspective for single-subject teachers. Source: rbb

A Russian restaurant in Berlin closes down after discrimination

Berlin is known for its diverse and lively gastronomy scene. However, many restaurants in Berlin are in crisis. Among them, a Russian gastronomic icon was forced to close recently. ‘Datscha’ was once a cult restaurant in Friedrichshain. You could eat Russian pancakes filled with quark, cream cheese and home-marinated salmon here. Co-founder Kristina Enke, a German-Ukrainian, has spoken out about the reasons for the closure, mentioning not only the increase on costs, but the prejudice experienced. There have been negative reviews on Google such as ‘Don’t eat there, the owner is Russian’. Source: Berlin-live

1. FC Union Berlin in search of suitable sponsors

The Bundesliga season begins for 1. FC Union Berlin on Saturday against 1. FSV Mainz 05. There, only the word ‘Berlin’ with the television tower in the background will be visible on the “Eisern”´s shirts. Missing critically the main sponsor. Such sponsorship deals are being considered carefully since there have been recent negative examples showing that a premature deal can be counterproductive. The most controversial sponsorship agreement this season was undoubtedly Borussia Dortmund’s deal with Rheinmetall, Germany’s largest defence contractor. Union´s president Dirk Zingler affirmed: ‘We wouldn’t have chosen Rheinmetall because Rheinmetall stands for something different than our club.’ Source: msn

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Terrorism and fascism: two sides of the same coin

After the deadly knife attack in Solingen, German politicians have reacted in typical fashion. The AfD has called for a ‘deportation offensive’, while CDU chairman Friedrich Merz insists: ‘It’s not knives that are the problem, but the people walking around with them. In most cases, these people are refugees.’ And Fabio De Masi from the ‘Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance’ joins in the chorus: ‘We have to talk about parallel societies and the large number of people who live with us without being subject to the right of asylum.’ One may ask on what basis these comments are made? What does the ‘Islamic State’, which claims responsibility for the attack, have to do with migration and asylum law? Source: nd-aktuell

Scholz vows speeding up deportations after Solingen

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) said irregular migration into Germany ‘must go down’ after the attack in Solingen. ‘This was terrorism, terrorism against us all,’ Scholz said during a visit to the city last Monday. Scholz also said his government would have to do ‘everything we can to ensure that those who cannot and should not stay here in Germany are repatriated and deported.’ An already heated debate about migration has become fiercer, with suggestions from the opposition of more control on Germany´s borders, or even stopping all migration. Experts say such suggestions are not feasible and are incompatible with German and European Union law. Source: bbc

Demonstrators against AfD prevent Björn Höcke from appearing in Jena

Thuringia’s leading AfD candidate Björn Höcke had to cancel an appearance in Jena due to a counter-demonstration. The original plan was for Höcke to appear at a public discussion in a district centre in Jena-Lobeda. According to the police, the manifestation had been registered, however, fewer people were originally expected. A broad alliance had called for the protests. The police stated that 2,000 people took part in the protests. Katharina König-Preuss (Left Party), a member of the Thuringian state parliament, had estimated the number of participants at around 3,000. She also described a sometimes harsh police operation against blockaders. The police were deployed there with pepper spray and batons. Source: Zeit

Foreign labour generates billions for eastern German states

Without foreigners, gross value added in eastern Germany would shrink: that is the conclusion of a new study by the Institute of German Economy (IW). ‘Foreign employees support the East German economy,’ says study author Wido Geis-Thöne, ’which makes it all the more important that the region remains cosmopolitan.’ According to the study, they mainly came from Poland and the Czech Republic, but also from countries such as India and Vietnam. However, eastern Germany does not have the best reputation when it comes to hospitality, the IW notes. ‘The AfD is working tirelessly on migrants,’ points out the institute. Source: rbb

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Charges against Berlin politician Kalayci

Charges have been brought against former Berlin health senator Dilek Kalayci (SPD). The Berlin public prosecutor’s office has accused the politician of bribery. She has emphatically rejected the accusations levelled against her. According to the investigation, Kalayci and a man from an advertising agency allegedly agreed in spring 2019 that the agency would take over the planning and organisation of Kalayci’s wedding, the costs of which (12,000 euros) were never invoiced. This same firm later received a contract for 270 thousand euros for a campaign for the health ministry. However, as explained by her lawyer, the politician ‘assumed that the advertising agency’s services had been properly invoiced and paid for in full.’ Source: t-online

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Far-right demo broken up near Leipzig Pride event

Neo-Nazis and far-right extremists staged a demonstration in the vacinity of a Pride event in Leipzig last Saturday. Police said around 300-400 people took part in the rally. These supporters of extreme right wing politics gathered at the city’s main railway station under the banner: “Proud, German, National.” Several crimes and violations of Germany’s assembly law were reported by Saxony’s police on X. Several hundred participants were detained temporarily. Earlier this month, nearly 700 far-right protesters arranged a march during a Pride rally in Bautzen, again in Saxony, sparking a large police presence. Source: dw

Four airports in Germany blocked by climate activists

“Letzte Generation” climate activists demonstrated at several German airports last week. The Cologne/Bonn airport announced that it was suspending flights after an “unauthorized intrusion.” Police has reported that a hole had been cut in the perimeter fence. Later that same day, Nuremberg also confirmed it was pausing operations due to a protest. In Berlin and Stuttgart, police said that activists were arrested without disrupting traffic. “The stakes right now are billions of human lives. Climate collapse is already a reality for many people,” the activists wrote on social media site X. Source: dw

Minister urges residents to move to German countryside

Housing Minister Klara Geywitz (SPD) has urged residents to move to the countryside where “almost 2 million houses are empty” to avoid the rising cost of renting and buying a house in major German cities. Despite Geywitz’s advice, there is evidence that these rent rises have been spilling into towns and villages, particularly since the outbreak of coronavirus, as well as the possibility of home office. The minister has a plan for increasing urban to rural migration in Germany, saying that the government is working with municipalities to increase rural pull factors. Further details ar to follow in November. Source: iamexpat

Sabotage fears prompt water scare near German base

Ten thousand people living near a military base close to Bonn were told to stop using tap water on Thursday night, as authorities investigated a case of possible sabotage at a water supply site. Meanwhile, Nato reported an attempted trespass at its base at Geilenkirchen close to the Dutch border. The extent of sabotage in each of the three incidents remains unclear although Germany’s armed forces, the Bundeswehr, have been on heightened alert due to Russia’s war in Ukraine. No one has yet been detained for any of the three alleged sabotage incidents. Source: bbc

Traffic lights are ‘practically no longer fit for government’ for Merz

CDU leader Friedrich Merz believes the coalition government has failed. He made these comments in reaction to the description by Green Party leader Omid Nouripour as a ‘transitional government’. Merz said that this is an ‘admission that this coalition no longer has anything to say’ and is ‘basically now really at the end’ . ‘The fourth largest economy in the world is practically no longer capable of governing and that is not good for any of us.’ Meanwhile, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) is ‘living in a different world’ and making light of the situation, said the CDU leader in the same interview. Source: welt

Court rejects appeal by concentration camp secretary

The former concentration camp secretary Irmgard Furchner was has been convicted of aiding and abetting murder in over 10,000 cases. This is the decision reached by the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) in a landmark judgement on Tuesday. The case has been contraversal as Furchner is now 99 years old. From 1943 to 1945, she was a typist at the Stutthof concentration camp near Gdansk. ‘Should a criminal offence be prosecuted at all after such a long time?’ asked presiding judge Gabriele Cirener right at the beginning of the verdict, picking up on the public debate. ‘The answer of the law is quite clear,’ Cirener then said, ’murder is not time-barred.’ Source: taz

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Rigaerstrasse 94 faces the end

For 34 years, Rigaer Straße 94 has defied the gentrification of Friedrichshain’s northern neighbourhood and the disintegration of the autonomous scene. Now, however, according to “taz”, a group of former residents who are still in possession of rental contracts have decided not to mount any further legal defence against the owner’s eviction proceedings. This would affect the majority of the flats in the side wing and rear building – the core of the radical left-wing project. The background to this is both legal risks in view of a new line taken by the Berlin courts and a dispute over the Middle East conflict, as well. Source: taz

Wegner promises Bürgerämter will offer walk-in appointments

The mayor of Berlin, Kai Wegner (CDU), has promised that the citizens’ office (Bürgerämter) will offer appointment-free days, during which people can drop by without booking one. Since 2012, it is possible to visit the Bürgeramt – where citizens must go to get a registration certificate in the city or change their driving licence – only with an appointment. In recent years that has become much more difficult, due to the long waiting time for getting it. Opposing parties show concern about the administrative measures for such modernisation. The Left Party, among others, commented the new system would only lead to further chaos and stress for employees. Source: iamexpat

Potsdam decriminalises riding public transport without a ticket

The Potsdam Transport Service GmbH announced it will no longer file criminal charges against people caught riding public transport without a ticket on multiple occasions. It means passengers travelling on public transport in Potsdam still need a valid ticket and if they are caught without one can still face a fine, but not criminal proceedings. Such decision was taken after the Potsdam Left Party pushed to decriminalise “Schwarzfahren” (literally “riding black”), and it follows similar determinations taken recently in other cities such as Bremen, Cologne, Dresden and Halle, among others. In neighbouring Berlin, the Senate for Justice has already said the capital will not follow in Potsdam’s footsteps. Source: iamexpat

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Majority of Germans against military aid for Israel

Many people in Germany are against the Bundeswehr providing military assistance to Israel in its defence – for example with Eurofighters for drone defence. As shown by the latest ARD DeutschlandTrend. According to the survey, 68 percent of respondents do not think it would be right for Germany to provide Israel with military defence support. Oppositionally, 21 per cent came out in favour. The current DeutschlandTrend also asked whether Israel’s military reaction against the terrosit attacks commited by Hamas have gone too far to which 57 percent of those polled saying that is has. When asked if Israel’s military actions are justified if the Palestinian civilian population is also affected 68 per cent consider Israeli attacks unjustified. Source: br

Citizen’s income is too high for the FDP

Following the debate on tougher sanctions for those who refuse to work, the FDP has criticised the level of the citizen’s allowance for all recipients. Single recipients of citizen’s allowance currently receive 563 euros per month. Too much, says FDP parliamentary group leader Christian Dürr. In view of the inflation trend, the citizen’s allowance is “currently 14 to 20 euros too high per month”, he said. The SPD reacted angrily to it’s governing partner’s latest comment. It thinks “absolutely nothing of constantly creating uncertainty with completely half-baked ideas far removed from reality”, said Martin Rosemann, the SPD parliamentary group’s labour market policy spokesman. Source: tagesschau

LGBTQ+ rights to constitution: German politicians split over it

The 3rd Article of the German constitution states: “No person shall be favored or disfavored because of gender, parentage, race, language, homeland and origin, faith or religious or political opinions.” To that, the German government wants to incorporate a protection for sexual identity. Any change to the constitution requires however a two-thirds majority in the Bundestag and in the Bundesrat. Support from other parties such as the conservative CSU and CDU are essential, since the traffic-light coalition does not hold the needed seats for it. Source: dw

Hamburg-Berlin train line to be closed for months

The Hamburg-Berlin railway line connects the two largest cities in Germany. Due to its poor condition, a month-long refurbishment is imminent – the first of two. The construction work is scheduled to last from this Friday until the timetable change on 14 December. This will result in considerable restrictions on long-distance and regional services for around four months. “Among other things, more than 74 kilometres of track and 100 points between Wittenberge and Ludwigslust as well as between Hamburg and Büchen and around Hagenow Land will be renewed,” the Deutsche Bahn announced. Long-distance trains will be diverted westwards via Stendal, Salzwedel, Uelzen and Lüneburg. Source: n-tv

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Neo-Nazi attack at Ostkreuz: Berlin police recognised the danger – and took no action

After around 15 masked neo-Nazis attacked people travelling to a demonstration against right-wing extremism at Berlin’s Ostkreuz on 6 July, further details have now emerged. An answer from the Senate Interior Administration to a question from Left Party MPs Ferat Koçak and Niklas Schrader reveals that the police were expecting such attacks – but decided not to protect those travelling to the demonstration. The behaviour of the police raises questions, as the security authorities are aware of the danger posed by neo-Nazi groups.  As Koçak says: “The police must face the question of why they did not protect the meeting point of the anti-fascist demonstrators”. Source: tagesspiegel

Up to 12,000 “lateral thinkers” march through Berlin

Four years after their first major demonstration, Querdenkers (“lateral thinkers”) have once again demonstrated in Berlin. Up to 12,000 people took to the streets to criticise the policies of the federal government. Corona was again a major issue. Posters from the party Die Basis, which is regarded as the party-political arm of the “Querdenker” movement, read, among other things, “friedensfähig statt kriegstüchtig” (peace-capable instead of war-capable). Along the rally, there had been several violations of the requirement not to display posters relating to the magazine “Compact”, which has since been banned and classified as right-wing extremist by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. Source: rbb

Rail traffic in Berlin still disrupted after suspected arson attack

Rail traffic in Berlin remains disrupted over the weekend following a fire in a cable shaft. Since last Friday, there have been considerable restrictions on long-distance, regional and S-Bahn services in the Jungfernheide area. Deutsche Bahn expects these disruptions to continue into the coming week – their website states that they might last until 6 August. A few hours after the fire, a declaration appeared on the Internet. On the internet platform “Indymedia”, which is often used by left-wing extremists, it said that the Deutsche Bahn rail network was “part of the Nato military infrastructure”. Source: rbb

Funding for project on sexualised violence fails due to political influence

The women and children – mainly from Korea and China – who served as forced prostitutes for Japanese soldiers during the Second World War are euphemistically referred to as “comfort women”. There is a statue related to this in Moabit, and this is under risk of being removed at the end of September 2024. The district office observes, among other things, a statue that has not emerged from a public competition cannot be authorised for more than a maximum of two years. The Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) also expressed a similar plan during his visit to Tokyo in May 2024. Source: rbb

NEWS FROM GERMANY

798 outstanding arrest warrants against Nazis

There were at the end of March of this year 798 outstanding arrest warrants related to right-wing extremists according to the Ministry of the Interior’s response to a small enquiry by the Left Party and published by “taz”. The figures are roughly on a par with those from the previous reporting from the year before: On 29 September 2023, there were 776 arrest warrants. The current figure is particularly remarkable because in the six months in between, 348 old arrest warrants against neo-Nazis were cancelled – either because the wanted persons were actually arrested or the warrants were cancelled in other ways, for example by paying a fine. Source: taz

Former GDR civil rights activists warn against coalitions with BSW

Former GDR civil rights activists warn against the new party Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) joining the government after the state elections in East Germany. The former head of the Stasi Records Office, Marianne Birthler, told the German Press Agency (dpa) that there is great concern that the BSW could join the government, especially because of the Wagenknecht party’s foreign policy positions. This concern is the tenor of an open letter which, according to Birthler, originated in Saxony. In the document, published on Platform X, one reason given for the warning are statements by Wagenknecht and other BSW members on the war in Ukraine which are critised. Source: web.de