GERMANY
State apparatus moves to ramp up deportations
Horst Seehofer wants new police powers to carry out immigration checks beyond border areas and use Tasers on detainees. Meanwhile, police propose that seats on deportation flights are not assigned to specific people until the last minute. This would give them more time to fill the planes when their original targets are unfit to fly.
Union backs quotas for women on company boards
IG Metall, the biggest trade union in Germany, has backed a draft law to enforce a minimum quota for women on company boards. The proposal from the social democratic party (SPD) would build on existing rules covering supervisory boards to tackle boards of directors, where women number just 9%. However, the draft suggests only a minimum quota of 1.
Thousands turn out to oppose AfD annual party
A reception organized by the AfD in Münster’s historic city hall was opposed by thousands of people. AfD supporters attending the gathering had to make their way through crowds of protesters, who explained to them clearly and loudly what they think about the far-right party. Between 8,000 – 10,000 people protested against the AfD event.
Bomb threats against four mosques in NRW
Four mosques in North Rhine-Westphalia received bomb threats on Wednesday. Police evacuated the mosques in Essen, Unna, Hagen and Bielefeld, but no explosives were found. The police say they have opened an investigation to try to identify who was behind the threatening messages. A courthouse in Essen also received a bomb threat.
BERLIN
Protest outside apartment of woman shot by police
Activists protested outside the Friedrichshain home of Maria B., killed by police on January 24th. Police were called after she allegedly threatened a flatmate with a knife. They claim she ran with the knife towards an officer, who shot her. Maria is reported to have been on the left, with antifa flags in her flat. Activists called her killing “femicide”.
Homeless census reveals 2,000 live on Berlin streets
At least 1,976 people are homeless in Berlin, according to a survey carried out by volunteers as part of a ‘Nacht der Solidarität’ (‘Night of Solidarity’) organized by the Berlin state. The figure is considered conservative, as only people in public places could be counted. Half had been homeless for at least 3 years. The data will be used to improve welfare services.
Voyeur videos of festival-goers spark outrage
Women were secretly filmed in the toilets and showers at two German music festivals, according to media reports published earlier this month. The recordings from Fusion and Monis Rache were discovered on the internet. On Friday evening, a protest march from Hermannplatz to Warschauer Strasse took place under the slogan “My Body is Not Your Porn“. Reports on Twitter suggested several hundred people had taken to the streets.
Berlin Senate plans more places in women’s refuges
The Berlin Senate wants to increase the number of places in women’s shelters and refuge apartments. By 2021, 70 new places will be added to the existing 301. The SPD-Linke-Green coalition had increased the budget for the refuges after warnings of a lack of places for women fleeing domestic violence. 14,500 cases were recorded in Berlin in 2019.
Source: Neues Deutschland
