NEWS IN BERLIN

Demonstrations for and against Tesla in Grünheide

Environmental activists demonstrated against the expansion of the Tesla factory in Grünheide on Sunday. The alliance “Tesla den Hahn abdrehen” (“Turning off the tap on Tesla”) spoke of 1,000 participants and called on politicians to accept and implement the citizens’ vote against the expansion of the plant. The police recorded five criminal charges during the demonstration. One person allegedly performed a Hitler salute to a group of protesters. The police are also conducting investigations on suspicion of dangerous bodily harm. A counter-demonstration by local residents who wanted to show their solidarity with the US e-car manufacturer took place at the same time. Source: rbb24

Delivered on a bike

The investment hype of delivery services such as Getir, Wolt, and Lieferando may be over in Berlin, but working conditions in the industry are still poor. “I’ve seen a lot of riders who simply continued biking after an injury,” reports Wolt employee Muhammad Bhatti. Many are afraid of losing their job, which they depend on, during the probationary period. Bhatti discussed the question of how working conditions in the industry can be improved with other participants on the panel “Delivery first, health second?” during the “Poverty and Health” congress at the Freie Universität Berlin. Source: taz

Berlin presents plan for former Tegel Airport

Berlin’s State Secretary for Climate Protection and Environment Britta Behrendt (CDU) has revealed plans to transform the former airfield of Berlin’s Tegel Airport into a park and nature conservation area. Like the Tempelhofer Feld, the 190-hectare airfield will become a spot for locals to jog, cycle, or skate on the airport’s former runway. Tegel’s Stadtheide, as it will be called, is planned to be inaugurated in 2029. After 72 years in operation, the last flight out of Tegel Airport took off in November 2020. Since then, it has been used for housing development, offices, a refugee centre, and a nightclub. Source: iamexpat

NEWS IN GERMANY

“We no longer need the stickers”

Instead of stickers, the climate activists “Letzte Generation” will resort in the future to demonstrations, meetings, and other forms of protest, although the group has not yet revealed their exact plans. “This spring should really be a spring of resistance,” announced spokeswoman Carla Hinrichs, adding: “We simply won’t need the stickers anymore because there are so many of us.” The climate activists’ website has announced “disobedient assemblies” throughout Germany on March 16 at noon. Actions will take place in Berlin, Bremen, Freiburg, Karlsruhe, Cologne, Leipzig, Munich, Regensburg, Stuttgart, and on the island of Rügen. Source: tagesspiegel

BSW goes to the small towns

The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) intends to run in the Saxony local elections, in addition to the state parliamentary elections. These will take place on June 9, at the same time as the European Parliament elections. The BSW founded its first state association in Saxony at the end of February, when a founding meeting took place behind closed doors in Chemnitz. Sabine Zimmermann, a former Bundestag representative, and entrepreneur Jörg Scheibe were elected state chairpersons. The BSW also wants to take part in the local and state elections in Thuringia. The regional association there is planned to be founded on March 15. Source: taz

GDL calls for new strike

In the wage dispute with the Deutsche Bahn (DB), the train drivers’ union GDL has called for a new strike. As the union explained in a press release, the strike in passenger transport began at 2 a.m. on Tuesday and ended at 2 a.m. on Wednesday. In freight transport, the work stoppages began on Monday at 6 p.m., also for 24 hours. There was only one day between the announcement of the industrial action and its start. GDL boss Claus Weselsky had already announced before that the railway and passengers would be given significantly less time to prepare themselves. Source: tagesschau

Feldman accuses German government of betraying Jews

Writer Deborah Feldman accused the German government of betraying Jews with its unconditional support for the right-wing nationalist Israeli government. “As a Jew, as a descendant of Holocaust survivors (…), I live in a country where on the one hand I am surrounded by people who have learned all the right lessons from the culture of remembrance, and yet a government can stand there and align itself mainly with the right-wing nationalist Israeli government and all its lobbyists.” This is no longer acceptable, said the author of the global bestseller Unorthodox at the Lit.Cologne literature festival on Sunday. Source: zeit

NEWS IN BERLIN

Yuval Abraham receives death threats after Berlinale

The Israeli Yuval Abraham, who was awarded together with the Palestinian Basel Adra the Berlinale’s best documentary award for No Other Land, has received death threats. Abraham also said several individuals turned up at his family members’ home in Israel. Abraham’s acceptance speech, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, was one of several moments during the closing ceremony in which solidarity with Palestine was expressed. It sparked an outcry in German media, with several politicians considering the speeches as “antisemitic”. “If this is Germany’s way of dealing with its guilt over the Holocaust, they are emptying it of all meaning”, he affirmed. Source: guardian

After pro-Palestine demonstration: suspected incitement to hatred

Following a pro-Palestinian demonstration last Saturday with more than 7,000 participants in Berlin, the German Press Agency reported that six investigations into protest attendees were underway. According to the information provided, this was triggered by verbal statements made during the demonstration. An unauthorised drone flight is also being investigated for violating the Aviation Act. According to a police spokesperson, a person injured a police officerduring an identity check. Around 7,300 people took part in the “Global South Resists” demonstration, which started at Alexanderplatz at 2.00 pm and ended at Potsdamer Platz at around 7.00 pm. Source: Zeit

Environmental activists block Elsenbrücke bridge at Treptower Park

Environmental activists and activists from the “Stop Fossil Subsidies” alliance blocked the slip road to the Elsen bridge at Treptower Park on Saturday. Among other things, the action was directed against the expansion of the A100 motorway in Berlin. The Berlin police spoke of 150 participants, the organisers of 500. The blockade was preceded by a bicycle demonstration, and it includes several environmental groups, including the Last Generation and Extinction Rebellion. According to the plans of the Federal Ministry of Transport, the A100 motorway is to be extended from the Treptower Park exit across the Spree and through Friedrichshain towards Lichtenberg in the coming years. Source: berliner-zeitung

Forest peacefully occupied near Tesla plant in Grünheide

The protest action in the wooded area occupied by activists near the Tesla plant in Grünheide continues to be peaceful: the situation remained calm on the second day of the protest. The police present kept a low profile. The activists have built around a dozen tree houses at a height of around eight to ten metres. Many of the visibly young people are keeping their faces covered in order not to be recognised by the police. The protesters say they want to prevent the planned clearing of the pine forest. Tesla’s high water consumption has also come under criticism. The activists say they are preparing for a week-long protest. Source: rbb

NEWS IN GERMANY

Migrant working conditions in Germany

Most migrants in Germany work for too little money and under particularly poor conditions. Just as the “Skilled Labour Immigration Act” came into full force on Friday, the Federal Statistical Office announced this – possibly involuntarily – with reference to figures from the 2022 microcensus. According to these figures, employees with a “history of immigration” are found more frequently than average in cleaning professions (around 60 per cent) or in the catering industry (45.6 per cent). With a share of 25 per cent of all employees, people with a “history of immigration” therefore make up more than half of all those working in “low-skilled occupations”. Source: junge Welt

Back to red

The next round of strikes at Deutsche Bahn AG (DB AG) has been scheduled: for freight transport action begins next Wednesday at 6 pm, and for passenger transport on Thursday at 2 am. Both actions are to last 35 hours each. Claus Weselsky, Chairman of the German Train Drivers’ Union (GDL), announced the upcoming industrial action at a press conference in Berlin. According to Weselsky, the decisive reason for the new round of strikes is the refusal of the railway board to fulfil the union’s demand to reduce working hours for shift workers from 38 to 35 hours without material losses. Source: junge Welt

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Another public transport strike announced

The trade union ver.di has called for warning strikes in local public transport throughout Germany this week. The first warning strikes take place in Brandenburg on Wednesday, February 28th. In Berlin, the Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) is on strike all day on Thursday, February 29th, and until 2 pm on Friday, March 1st. This will affect underground trains, buses, trams, and ferries. Most S-Bahns in Berlin and Germany are not affected. In parallel to the warning strikes, “Fridays For Future” (FFF) is organising numerous demonstrations against the climate crisis on March 1st. Source: rbb24

Deutsche Wohnen: data protection dispute continues

A legal dispute against the real estate group Deutsche Wohnen SE regarding a million-euro fine over a data protection breach has been brought back to court, as reported by the Berliner Zeitung. At the centre of the case are questions about what kind of data real estate companies are allowed to store on their tenants. Lawyers from Deutsche Wohnen, which has been part of the Vonovia real estate group since 2021, are getting ready for a lengthy legal process. Back in 2019, a similar case was issued against Deutsche Wohnen, eventually making its way to the European Court of Justice (ECJ). Source: exberliner

Fast mobile phone network soon to be available on Berlin U-Bahns

After years of waiting, a fast mobile phone network is to be available on all Berlin underground lines this spring. The expansion of the mobile phone technology should be completed by the end of March. By January, already 90 per cent of underground routes had been equipped with 4G/LTE. Further work “to increase density and capacity” will then be carried out on the most recently upgraded sections by September. The mobile phone company Telefónica is responsible for the expansion of the technical infrastructure with an LTE network. The new and even faster 5G network should then be available nationwide by the end of 2025. Source: rbb24

Accusations of antisemitism after Berlinale awards ceremony

Following political statements on the Middle East conflict at the Berlinale awards ceremony, Berlin’s Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) has called for measures to be taken by the new Berlinale festival management to prevent relativization about Israel. Senator for Culture Joe Chialo (CDU) also wrote that “Culture should offer space for diverse political expressions of opinion, but this year’s Berlinale awards ceremony was characterised by self-righteous anti-Israeli propaganda that does not belong on Berlin’s stages.” Among the festival’s winners was “No Other Land,” a film about the expulsion of Palestinians in the West Bank. The documentary’s Palestinian director, Basel Adra, referred to the current armed conflict in the Gaza Strip in his acceptance speech, while his co-director, the Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham, spoke of “apartheid” in the West Bank. Source: tagesschau

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Tesla: victory for democracy and nature conservation

The majority of citizens in Grünheide voted against Tesla’s expansion plans for its car factory. The turnout of over 70% shows that the issue is politically explosive, and the community has been deeply divided since the emergence of Elon Musk, explained Thomas Löb, state leader of the Ecological Democratic Party (ÖDP) in Brandenburg. The outcome is not legally binding but is considered an important basis. The water board demanded that the municipal representatives vote on the development plan at the next meeting on 14 March as planned. Source: n-tv

Hesse Finanzamt and judicial trainees under investigation for racist party song

Students interning as judicial officers at the Finanzamt in Hesse were accused of singing a racist song at a party in the Rothenburger Study Centre for Financial Administration and Justice. According to other students, who were present at the party and later filed complaints, the song included the lyrics “Ausländer raus, Deutschland den Deutschen” (“Foreigners out, Germany for the Germans”). The public prosecutor’s office in Hesse has announced it opened an investigation on suspicion of “incitement of hatred.” The parliamentary secretary Miriam Dahlke (Greens) said that people training to become civil servants must “guarantee that they firmly stand for our free democratic basic order at all times.” Source: iamexpat

Cannabis in Germany: what is now allowed, what is not?

With the votes of the governing coalition, the Bundestag has decided to partially liberalise the use of cannabis in Germany. This means that from 1 April 2024 people of legal age in Germany will be allowed to carry up to 25 grams of cannabis. Hashish enthusiasts will also be able to grow three cannabis plants and store up to 50 grams of dried cannabis in their own home. However, commercial shops, such as those in some states in the USA, will not be allowed for the time being – even though this was envisaged at the beginning of the government’s deliberations. Source: dw

Digitalisation for the climate

Faster digitalisation could reduce Germany’s annual greenhouse gas emissions by up to 73 million tonnes in 2030. This is the result of a study by the Bitkom association, which primarily represents companies from the technology sector. The authors looked at the areas of energy, building, industry, transport, and agriculture. The greatest potential lies in the energy sector with the building sector following in second place. However, other studies are less optimistic about the role of digitalization. The large-scale study “Digital Reset,” for example, takes into consideration the rebound effect: when efficiency improves, the use of the technology also increases, and energy usage rises. Source: taz

AfD soon to be “confirmed right-wing extremist”?

The entire AfD might soon be classified as “confirmed extremist.” So far, the AfD has only been listed as a so-called suspected case of right-wing extremism. But according to research by the Süddeutsche Zeitung, a team from the Federal Office has been working on a new report for months. The newspaper relies on internal emails and notes from the domestic secret service. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution did not want to comment on the report. Source: tagesschau

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Berlinale management disinvites AfD politicians from opening gala

Following criticism for inviting AfD politicians to the Berlinale opening, the festival management has once again disinvited the party representatives. Particularly in view of the revelations of anti-democratic positions in recent weeks, it was considered important to take an unequivocal stand in favour of democracy, the Berlinale management announced. “We have therefore today disinvited all previously invited AfD politicians,” said the management duo Mariette Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian in a statement. In the last days, there have been numerous calls for the invitations’ withdrawal. Among others, around 200 filmmakers expressed their criticisms in an open letter. Source: rbb24

What’s going on at the BVG?

The new head of Berlin’s public transport company (BVG) faces a Herculean task. Henrik Falk must make sure that punctuality and reliability increase again. Passengers’ perception is now confirmed by objective data from the Senate: transport politician Tino Schopf (SPD) requested official data on delays and train cancellations for 2023, that the situation for the state-owned company and its passengers has declined. The proportion of delayed journeys rose to a record high in 2023, as did the number of cancelled kilometres. But there will be no strikes at BVG for the time being – at least not until next Thursday. Source: berliner zeitung

On Sonnenallee, unregistered pro-Palestine demo gathers to protest against Rafah bombing

On Monday evening, demonstrators came out onto the streets of Neukölln for an unregistered protest after the Israeli army launched an attack on the area of Rafah. Since the protest was unregistered, police came to break it up, which led to scuffles in which stones and bottles were reportedly thrown at officers. Among the various slogans chanted by protestors, there were some which have been subject to bans by the German state such as “Stop the Genocide.” However, two courts in Germany (Cologne and Munster) recently ruled that these slogans were not illegal and should be protected under the right to freedom of expression. Source: exberliner

Berlin repeat-election results: a slight defeat for Germany’s ruling coalition

Last Sunday saw Berlin repeat its 2021 federal election in a fifth of the city’s electoral districts, and while there were slight losses for Germany’s ruling coalition, there was no change in the twelve direct mandates. More worryingly, though, the far-right AfD party increased its vote share by one per cent. In fact, all the major parties of opposition saw some gains, with the CDU gaining 1.3% and Die Linke growing 0.1% compared to the 2021 outcomes. Those figures came at the expense of the ruling “traffic light” coalition of the SPD (-1.2%), the Greens (-0.3%), and the FDP (-0.9%). Source: exberliner

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Largest NATO exercise since the end of the Cold War

A massive manoeuvre threatens a continent-wide escalation of the conflict. According to reports, more than 90,000 soldiers, 50 warships and several squadrons of fighter jets from 31 member states and Sweden are taking part in Steadfast Defender 2024, which began on 22 January. The German government doubled its arms donations to Kiev this year to almost eight billion euros, while cuts are being made in the areas of education, health and pensions. The manoeuvre is scheduled to last until 31 May 2024. Under the banner of the NATO exercise, Germany also tries to increase its military presence in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. Source: internationale friedensfabrik

“Millions of people we can’t do without”

According to the head of the Federal Employment Agency (BA), Andrea Nahles, the German labour market is in urgent need of workers. “We now have 5.3 million people working in Germany without a German passport, and we couldn’t do without them,” she said in an interview on SWR’s Interview of the Week. The German labour market cannot afford a policy that relies on so-called remigration. Right-wing extremists use the term “remigration” to trivialise expulsions and forced departures. According to BA figures, people from outside the European Union were the largest group who came into employment in Germany in 2023. Despite this, there are still almost 700,000 unfilled vacancies. Source: tagesschau

Willingness to donate declines in Germany

The German Donations Council “Balance of Help” is concerned about the declining number of donors. Last year shows the lowest level since the survey began in 2005. On average, each donation was around 40.30 euros. According to the survey, the most generous donors are in the over-60 age group. However, the proportion of donors aged between 30 and 39 has also increased. Donations for emergency and disaster relief summed up to 929 million euros. The “Balance of Help” researcher Bianca Corcoran-Schliemann spoke nevertheless of a “super result” when weighing up inflation and the increasing willingness of Germans to save money. Source: tagesschau

Commemoration and vigils on the anniversary of the attack in Hanau

On the next February 19, the fourth anniversary of the racist attack in Hanau that left nine people dead, the victims will be remembered with a memorial service at Hanau’s main cemetery. Hesse’s Deputy Prime Minister Kaweh Mansoori, Mayor Claus Kaminsky and Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (all SPD) plan to lay wreaths at the memorial plaque in the cemetery. An imam will pray for the victims at the cemetery at 10.30 am. At 11:00 am, there will be a silent moment, at which there will reportedly be no political speeches “at the express wish of the victims’ relatives,” and which will be open to the public. Source: islamiq

Right-wing disinformation against trans people in Germany

“Under the current government, there is no money for pensioners, schools and the railway. But they now want to introduce nationwide counselling centres for everyone who doesn’t know whether they are male or female,” said Beatrix von Storch (AfD) in the German Bundestag last November. Such attacks are “deliberate strategic decisions” by the far right according to Sascha Krahnke, an expert on transphobia and the far right at the Amadeu Antonio Foundation in Berlin. The problem is also getting worse because hate speech and disinformation from social media are increasingly being taken up by the mainstream media. Source: dw