The Left Berlin News & Comment

This is the archive template

Month: June 2025

News from Berlin and Germany, 25th June 2025

Weekly news round-up from Berlin and Germany


25/06/2025

NEWS FROM BERLIN

Letter of confession emerges after suspected arson attack

Following the burning of a total of 35 vans from Amazon and Telekom, a letter of confession has appeared on the internet. The confessional text states that the attack was aimed at the companies. The corporations are accused of being involved in wars: “Both companies profit immensely from global militarization and the spreading wars. That’s why it’s right to sabotage them.” No one was injured in the fires, but there was considerable damage to property. The police state security department responsible for politically motivated crimes is currently investigating the assaults. Source: rbb

CDU remains the strongest force; Die Linke increases to 19%

If elections to the Berlin House of Representatives had been held some days ago, the CDU would have come in at 25%, a loss of 2% compared to the previous poll in November 2024. Die Linke would have been the second strongest force with 19%, meaning a significant improvement of 13%. The Alliance 90/The Greens would have been the third strongest party with a 15% share of the vote despite losing 5%, and the AfD would have reached 13%, down 2% compared to November 2024. More than two thirds (68%) of respondents said they were “not very” or “not at all” satisfied with the current black-red Senate. Source: rbb

Is “From the river to the sea” a Hamas slogan? A Berlin court denies it

A student, Emil T., was accused by the public prosecutor in Berlin of shouting the slogan “From the river to these a, Palestine will be free” at a pro-Palestinian demonstration in May 2024. He was also alleged to have resisted law enforcement officers during the occupation of the Freie Universität’s theater courtyard in the same month. But last Friday he was just acquitted. “For me, it [the slogan] expresses the opinion that there should be a state in the historical mandate territory of Palestine in which everyone can live in freedom, without oppression and occupation,” he said during the trial. Source: nd

“Renate” goes up in flames

Just after 2am last Thursday morning, a fire broke out in the forecourt of Berlin’s iconic “Wilde Renate” (or simply, “Renate”) club in Friedrichshain. Residents heard explosions preceding the blaze: a dramatic video from the Berliner Morgenpost shows the flames engulfing the site. The club was not open at the time, so no one was injured. However, it appears that the venue sustained significant damage to its fenced forecourt, which is mainly used as a beer garden. Flames also reportedly spread to the entrance area. This incident comes during an already difficult time for the club, which is set to close at the end of the year. Source: theberliner

Delivery service manages to obtain victory again

Once again, the Finnish delivery service Wolt, former employees, and interested parties find themselves in the large courtroom of the Berlin Labor Court—with a victory for the delivery company. This time, a bicycle courier had not properly received her wage. As so often before, the question is: Does Wolt have to take responsibility for the misconduct of its subcontractors commissioned as fleet partners? Nicolas Roggel, Wolt’s lawyer, denies that Wolt worked with Mobile World GmbH. Instead, IMOQX GmbH, which was the plaintiff’s employer, was used as a so-called fleet partner. The courier can appeal against the ruling at the regional labor court. Source: nd

Berlin government announces new projects, security area included

At a closed meeting in Nauen (Havelland, the Berlin government coalition of CDU and SPD decided to introduce a series of legislative projects before the summer break. For example, there are plans to tighten Berlin’s police law, as CDU parliamentary group leader Dirk Stettner and SPD parliamentary group leader Raed Saleh explained in the House of Representatives. The police are to be given more powers in areas such as video surveillance at crime-ridden locations and telecommunications surveillance. The decisions received criticism from, among others, the opposition and the “Deutsche Wohnen & Co enteignen” initiative. Source: rbb

Closure of Görlitzer Park: around 900 people protested on Monday

The planned night-time closure of Görlitzer Park has been the subject of controversy for more than two years. Now preparations are starting for the construction of a fence around the park. To begin the construction, no-parking zones were designated. This will be followed by successive measures. There were protests against the project on Monday: around 900 opponents of the controversial construction in Berlin-Kreuzberg demonstrated in the evening against the start of the construction work. The situation remained peaceful, said police spokesman Martin Stralau. The police also announced that they would guard the construction site against possible protests. Source: tagesspiegel

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Regensburg CSD must be rescheduled due to threats

The Christopher Street Day (CSD) in Regensburg will not take place as originally planned. “There was a threatening letter,” said CSD organizer Alexander Irmisch to the German Press Agency. Following a discussion with the police and the city, Irmisch decided to change the plans for the event. The route of the annual parade through the old town will be shortened. There will also be a stationary event on the cathedral square. Irmisch said that it is still unclear from which end of the political spectrum the threatening letter against the Regensburg CSD came: “I can’t assign it to any camp at the moment.” Source: taz

Mask deals: Spahn wants to comment this week

Federal Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) has announced that she will present the previously secret investigation report on the procurement of coronavirus face masks to the Budget Committee during Jens Spahn’s (CDU) tenure as Health Minister. For data protection reasons, however, passages willbe blacked out, said Warken, referring for example to personal employee data and business secrets of affected companies. Spahn, currently head of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, is expected to give his opinion on the special mask report to the Bundestag’s budget committee on Wednesday. Spahn is said to have offered to do so voluntarily, according to committee circles. Source: BZ

NATO agrees on 5%

A few days before the NATO summit in The Hague, on 25 June, the 32 states in the alliance have reached an agreement on the planned new target for defense spending. A declaration envisages a target of 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2035, according to diplomats. From the 5%, 3.5% of GDP is earmarked for pure defense spending and 1.5% for defense-related spending such as infrastructure measures. Currently, the NATO target for defense spending only provides for annual national spending of at least 2% of GDP. Source: tagesschau

German authorities separate baby from mother over Palestine solidarity  

Statement by the European Legal Support Centre (ELSC)


24/06/2025

The European Legal Support Center (ELSC) is challenging a ruling by the Higher Administrative Court Berlin-Brandenburg before the Federal Constitutional Court after German authorities forced a Palestinian-Jordanian mother to separate from her one-year-old son for months, who was initially deemed as a “security threat” in a letter from the German Embassy in Amman.
 
This case involves the prolonged and seemingly weaponised separation of a young Palestinian family on behalf of the notorious German domestic intelligence service “Verfassungsschutz” (Office for the Protection of the Constitution) in an inhumane and barely legal bureaucratic process. It highlights how migration laws are being weaponised against activists in Germany to suppress the Palestine solidarity movement and stands as one of the harshest examples of this tactic being employed by the German state especially against Palestinians. 

It also exposes the ease with which vague and unsubstantiated security claims can override fundamental rights when targeting Palestinians. 

Background: 

B. M. (Name anonymized for security reasons) is a Palestinian mother who holds Jordanian nationality and has been living and working in Frankfurt am Main since 2018 with a valid residency permit. As a professional nurse, her profession is of high demand on the German labor market and German authorities actively invite and encourage such professionals to migrate and work there. She arrived in Germany with residency status as a “skilled worker”.  

B.M. is married to a Palestinian man from Jordan who joined her in Germany in 2022 through the family reunification residency. In 2023 the couple received their first child, born in Frankfurt am Main. In October 2023, B.M. applied for permanent residency, and in the meantime, the migration office issued temporary residence permits (Fiktionsbescheinigung) to her and her family. Since her son was born in Germany and the parents had a legal status here, this entitles him to a separate residency status (independent from the family reunification process), a legal right that was conveniently ignored by German authorities in the events to follow. 

The beginning of the separation: One year old baby deemed a “security threat” to Germany

In August 2024, a year after their son was born, the family traveled to Jordan for a two-week family visit. Upon attempting to return to Germany, while the temporary residence permits for all family members were still valid, B.M.’s one year old baby was denied boarding as it was declared he lacked the necessary permit to re-enter Germany. German authorities failed to inform the family that re-entering will not be possible for the baby upon departure from Germany, his birthplace.  

At the time, the German embassy in Jordan made it seem a mere bureaucratic matter and advised B.M. to stay in Jordan for a few weeks, before her son would receive the required permit. 

In November 2024, B.M. received a letter from the embassy stating that her son was not allowed to reenter because there were reasons for refusal according to Section 54(1) no. 2 or 4 of the Residence Act which outline that residence may be refused if an applicant was convicted of one or several criminal acts or had violated residence restrictions or prohibitions and thereby endangered public safety and order. This effectively deemed the baby a “security threat” to Germany, and as such, he would not be allowed to travel with her back to Germany. In the meantime, B.M.’s husband had to travel back for work in Germany, assuming that this “bureaucratic” procedure will be resolved soon and he will welcome them in Frankfurt am Main. He left not knowing that he would not see his child again until returning to Jordan in May 2025. 

Highly unusual prolonging of the legal proceedings 

After consulting lawyer Ebru Akcan Asiltürk in Frankfurt am Main, another letter was received this time from the migration office in early December 2024, clarifying that the issue was not with her son but in fact with the mother. For the first time, German authorities acknowledged that she was under security investigation by the domestic intelligence service Verfassungsschutz which could potentially result in the revocation of her residency status. The German foreign ministry later argued in court this was because of her alleged involvement with the Palestine solidarity groups/organizations, namely Samidoun Deutschland, Masar Badil und Palestine e.V. This, in turn, would also affect the residency status of both her son and husband. Even though her son has a separate right to residency due to his birthplace in Germany, B.M. was told her son’s entry permit – a simple bureaucratic act and the child’s legal right – was no longer deemed necessary until a final decision on her residency status was made.  

B.M.’s lawyer filed an urgent appeal in November 2024 against the German foreign ministry’s decision arguing that:

  • A one-year-old cannot constitute a security threat to Germany, and the child holds a valid residency status separate from the parent’s reunification residency status. 
  • Both parents hold valid residency permits.  
  • While there might be an ongoing investigation, it has not yet concluded – there are no officially declared security concerns which could justify the separation of the family.  
  • The urgent appeal is necessary because of the financial and legal disadvantages for the family resulting from the arbitrary decision. 
  • German authorities are aiming to prevent the mother from re-entering Germany and because there is no legal basis to do so, they are disenfranchising her child. 

The German foreign ministry in turn gave a remarkable first response:

  • The urgent appeal should be dismissed because: “There are no circumstances apparent or substantiated that would require the immediate presence of the applicant in Germany.” 
  • The family of the mother in Jordan could provide care for the child.
  • The residency permit for the child is dependent on “one involved security agency” and while the child does not constitute a security threat to Germany, allowing the child to enter Germany could possibly constitute a security risk.

An urgent appeal usually results in a preliminary ruling after a few weeks but in this case it took several months, until February 2025. The administrative court in Berlin ruled that reentrance of the child to Germany was not urgent with complete disregard to the legal right of the child to reside in Germany, along with his parents, and the severe impact on the family’s well-being.
 
B.M. was told to wait for the completion of the security check regarding her permanent residency application. If approved, she would be able to bring her son back to Germany. Her lawyer appealed the decision at the Higher Administrative Court Berlin-Brandenburg with another urgent appeal in February 2025. In the meantime, she also returned to Germany, separating from her child, leaving him behind with her parents to avoid losing her own residency not knowing that the higher court would take another 4 months to decide. 

It is noteworthy that it is entirely unclear to the public or even the subject under investigation how such a security check is conducted: neither which authorities are involved apart from the notorious Verfassungsschutz nor on which criteria or information they base their decision and when they are expected to conclude the investigation.  

The so-called security check is still ongoing to this day, nearly two years later. This raises questions about whether the Verfassungsschutz has been abusing vague rules to prolong the process and pressure the family into “self-deportation”. 

In June 2025 the Higher Administrative Court dismissed the appeal and upheld the previous decision despite the legal flaws, arguing that the parents could move back to Jordan or accept the separation from their child temporarily.  

ELSC’s intervention

The ELSC has now taken the case to the Federal Constitutional Court in an urgent appeal.  
ELSC Legal officer Hisham comments: “The German state systematically exploits residence, asylum and citizenship law to punish already marginalised communities. This must be recognised for what it is: a blatantly racist system with devastating consequences. There is no justification for separating a newborn from his parents, yet to label the child a “security threat” marks a grotesque new low, even by their own oppressive standards.” 

This shocking, inhumane and politically motivated abuse of bureaucratic power and migration laws is not an isolated case. The ELSC has documented over 22 incidents where threats to residency status or restrictions to freedom of movement were weaponised to repress Palestine solidarity in Germany. More information on our database on anti-Palestinian repression Germany here. 

This is just the tip of the iceberg. The true scale is far greater.  High ranking German politicians routinely incite migration offices to target Palestine solidarity even for something as minor as social media likes. The German parliament recently urged with overwhelming majority to use all repressive methods at hand in residence, asylum and citizenship law against Palestine solidarity in Germany.  

There is an increasing concern that the German domestic intelligence service Verfassungsschutz is highly involved in this process. Its purpose is almost completely unregulated and opaque surveillance of “enemies of the constitution”. The tools at their disposal are increasingly used to target the Palestine solidarity movement in Germany as they openly admit in their latest report. 

Germany’s Highest Administrative Court in Leipzig recently ruled to allow deportations to Greece. This affects almost every Palestinian asylum seeker from Gaza in Germany and corresponds with the clear will of the German Government to deport as many people as possible in complete disregard of fundamental human rights. Legal observation suggests that German administrative courts are bending the law in adherence to political pressure. 

The ELSC will challenge this case before the constitutional court. Migration laws in Germany are being abused-turning legal residency into a weapon to punish dissent. Now the constitutional court faces its test: will it uphold fundamental rights and stop these unconstitutional and inhumane practices, or will it bend to political pressure. 

Mr. Merz, your ‘dirty work’ has consequences – End support for Israeli war crimes now

Open Letter to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz


This open letter was initiated by members of the Iranian diaspora

Dear Mr. Merz,

On the second day of the G7 summit, in an interview with ZDF – set against what the interviewer described as the “picturesque backdrop of the Rocky Mountains” – you commented on Israel’s attack on Iran with the words:

“This is the dirty work Israel is doing for all of us.”

At a time when terms such as antisemitism, self-defense, and human rights are increasingly devalued through their inflationary and instrumental misuse – rendering a number of minorities who are directly impacted by extremist ideology in Germany increasingly vulnerable – your choice of words is chillingly revealing. Your chosen words aptly indicate your willingness to cheer on the breaking of international law. The only ambiguity in your statement lies in your use of the pronoun, “us.” Whom exactly do you mean by “us,” Mr. Merz? Whose voices do you imagine that you represent via this hate-filled endorsement of the killing and displacement of innocent civilians?

Allow us to remind you of the preamble to the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany, which declares Germany’s commitment to “promoting world peace as an equal partner in a united Europe.” The warfare that your statement supports falls far from supporting global peace. In this sense, how dare you assume that “we,” the German people and inhabitants of Germany, stand behind your belligerent words? Perhaps then, the “we” that you mention is a reference to the German government and other European states? If that is the case, then those governments must now be called upon to publicly respond to your statement.

Your choice of words warrants serious scrutiny, given the immense historical and moral implications. Referring to the deliberate killing of human beings as “work” – a term used for the production of goods or the provision of services – is nothing less than an act of linguistic dehumanization of the victims. The phrase “dirty work” troublingly echoes language formerly used by SS leadership: In his testimony before the Polish tribunal, the commandant of Auschwitz, Rudolf Höss, described the systematic extermination of human beings as a “task,” as necessary “work” to be carried out.

Mr. Merz, how convenient it is to have other parties carry out the “dirty work” for you at this moment in history without German hands having to be literally stained with blood! The “dirty work” is now carried out by the Israeli government at a comfortable distance. The resulting civilian deaths are cynically whitewashed via trivialization, omission, and selective reporting in mainstream media.

In your comment, you speak of the same Israeli government that has already been responsible for the deaths of over 55,000 people in Gaza, a government that should not be conflated with the civilian population of Israel, just as the current dictatorial regime in Iran cannot be conflated with Iranian civilians and just as German government policy vis-a-vis Israel-Palestine and the Middle East must be understood, at this moment in time, as distinct from the will of the German people.

You speak of the same Israeli government whose prime minister, on 21 November 2024, was issued with an arrest warrant for war crimes and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, a court whose authority your government seems increasingly unwilling to recognize. The Israeli government’s violations of international law were explicitly pointed out to you by Mohamed ElBaradei, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Regrettably, it has become apparent that it is no longer necessary to adhere to and respect international law and basic humanitarian principles in order to hold high political office in Germany.

We, the undersigned, are Iranian citizens with German citizenship or residence status. We live, work, study and engage in social work here – as academics, doctors, nurses, artists, craftspeople, activists, teachers, childcare workers, engineers and others who contribute significantly to German society. What you refer to as “dirty work,” Mr. Merz, is a cruel euphemism for the murder and displacement of our family and friends in Iran. What you wish to sell to the German public as “targeted strikes on nuclear facilities” is, in reality, a bloody war carried out by a corrupt far-right government in the Middle East, under the guise of “self-defence.”

Our German, European and international colleagues, friends, and allies – many of whom have also signed this letter – are well informed about the crimes committed by the Israeli government in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria and Iran. They are bearing direct witness to how deeply shaken, desperate and traumatized we are by a government which, at least before your tenure, appeared to want all who live in Germany represented. Your “dirty work,” as carried out by the Israeli government, is reviled not only by the deeply impacted civilians of Iran, but also by a great number of attentive Germans – some of whom have signed this letter.

We strongly urge you to immediately halt all arms exports to Israel and to issue a public apology for your hateful and degrading use of language. Let this letter be a reminder that we will continue to inform and educate the growing number of Germans who are deeply alarmed by the crimes that the Israeli government consistently perpetrates. We will continue to disseminate the images and reports that we receive directly from Iran and other contexts impacted by Israel’s indiscriminate violence. Be aware that those who have enabled or been complicit in this violence, including your government, will be held accountable for having directly or indirectly perpetuated the “dirty work” that you so callously evoked during your ZDF interview.

Sign here

You can find this Open Letter in German, English, and Farsi with a list of the existing signatories here.

1 July 2009: Murder of Marwa El-Sherbini

This week in working class history


On 1st July 2009, Marwa El-Sherbini was supposed to have her day in court. The previous year, El-Sherbini had asked Alexander Wiens to allow her son Mustafa to use a park swing. Wiens replied with Islamophobic abuse, calling her a “terrorist”, an “Islamist” and a “slut.” He threatened the then 2-year old Mustafa with violence. El-Sherwini sued Wiens for verbal abuse, and he was fined €780. On 1st July, El-Sherbini and Wiens met again in Dresden district court after he appealed the fine.

As El-Sherbini left the court, Wiens stabbed her at least 16 times with a 7-inch knife. She, and her unborn child, died immediately. When her husband Elwy tried to intervene, he was first stabbed by Wiens then shot in the leg and critically wounded by a policeman. As a result of the shooting, Elwy was in a coma for 2 days. Lawyer Nadja Samour told Al Jazeera: “once the security officer arrived, they saw of course a white man and a brown man fighting and the first reaction they have was to shoot the brown man.”

El-Sherbini’s murder took place at a time of rising racism and Islamophobia in Germany and elsewhere. The court case took place a few days after French president Nicolas Sarkozy had denounced the burka. The following year, former Berlin finance minister Thilo Sarrazin published his book “Deutschland schafft sich ab”. The book claimed that the education level of people from Turkey and Arab countries was damaging Germany, and ranted about “headscarf girls”.  The book sold 1½ million copies.

Israel’s genocidal attack on Gaza has only made things worse. From October 7, 2023 to December 8, 2023, 142 anti-Islamic crimes were reported, 3 times more than the previous year. Women were affected in 62% of the cases. Marwa El-Sherbini’s murder should teach us that our different fights – against Islamophobia, against sexism, for Palestine – are intertwined, and that we cannot trust the German state to support us.

Anti-Trump United Front

The People of the USA are on the move


23/06/2025

Citizens of Chico line the streets near Fred David Municipal Center during the No Kings protest in Chico, California, on the morning of June 14, 2025

Many Marxist-Leninists in the USA have long called for a United Front (UF) of the People against the onslaught of fascism in the USA. That said, this was slow to come. Given the situation of the left in the USA currently, the UF was not ‘made’ by us. However, we must join it, now that one has arisen. Undoubtedly, the UF has made a resolute start.

Actions of the United Front to date

The general slogan of the UF, which became the name of the demonstrations themselves, is “No Kings”. The UF organised these protests because, as their website explains:

“They’ve defied our courts, deported Americans, disappeared people off the streets, attacked our civil rights, and slashed our services. 

“The flag doesn’t belong to President Trump. It belongs to us. We’re not watching history happen. We’re making it.

“On June 14th, we’re showing up everywhere he isn’t—to say no thrones, no crowns, no kings.”

This coalition comprises numerous supporting groups. According to an article written by Ashley Ahn for the New York Times entitled “The No Kings protests were the work of hundreds of organizations” (June 14, 2025), these groups successfully led marches across the country:

“The No Kings protests sweeping the country Saturday were coordinated by more than 200 organizations, including political, environmental and labor advocacy groups, according to the demonstrators’ website. 

Among the most prominent organizers were progressive groups like 50501, Indivisible, and the American Civil Liberties Union. Many of the groups involved also helped plan the “Hands Off!” protests in April, which called on the Trump administration to stop threatening Social Security, health care and education.”

The UF faced down three very recent intimidations—and yet they still organised an impressive, visible, and large resistance across the country.

These three intimidations of the progressive and anti-racist movement were:

  1. The ICE crackdown urged on by Trump on the immigrant workers in the USA’s second largest city, Los Angeles (LA). See here.
  2. The military rally in Washington, DC, organised by the ever self-glorifying Trump, which consumed some $45 million. This was supposedly to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the US Army, which just happens to coincide with Trump’s 79th birthday. It consisted of marches of troops, weaponry, and military vehicles.
  3. The assassinations of the Minnesota state representative Melissa Hortman of the Democratic Party and her husband at their home—which State Governor Tim Walz labelled as a “politically motivated assassination”. In addition to this, Democratic State Senator John Hoffman and his wife were shot at their home—but survived. The assassin was a man who owns a security agency and was dressed as a police officer, and was driving a “police” car. In his car, a hit list was found, which, among many names, included the “No Kings” demonstrations. The Minnesota organizers were concerned about this and cancelled protest marches. Even so, a large crowd arrived outside the State Capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota.

What do we know about the United Front?

The scale of their protests reflects that they have many origins in several progressive movements: 

“The protests this past week against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown included some organizations that had more explicit support for racial justice, Palestinian freedom and socialist politics, such as local chapters of the Party for Socialism and Liberation.”

There are two main organisers of the UF—the 50501 movement and Indivisible. Both started as online movements:

“Indivisible and 50501 were both created in response to President Trump’s policies. Indivisible started as an online document that provided guidance on how to organize locally and pressure elected officials to reject Mr. Trump’s policies. The 50501 movement grew from a Reddit community that was created on Jan. 25, days after Mr. Trump’s second inauguration. (Its name is short for “50 protests, 50 states, 1 movement”).”

The Welcome Guide of 50501 clarifies further:

“ 50501 is a national movement made up of everyday Americans who stand up for democracy and who stand up against the authoritarian actions of the Trump administration. The name 5051 stands for 50 states, 50 protests, 1 movement.” (p. 1/8)

The other main organiser is Indivisible:

“Indivisible has since expanded its reach to over 200,000 followers on Instagram; 50501 has more than 400,000 followers on the platform.

“The larger groups have helped mobilize protests since the beginning of Mr. Trump’s second term and focused on issues like mass layoffs in the government workforce and cuts to Medicaid …

“The demonstrations on Saturday were named No Kings to refer to what organizers see as authoritarian overreach by Mr. Trump and his administration.”

The coalitions involved in the UF include but are not limited to the following:

Build the Resistance, Unheard here, Voices of Florida. More listings of partner organisations can be found here. 

What is the United Front’s policy?

According to their own websites, they aim to mobilise the people of the working class against the Trump regime. They are explicitly a United Front and make it clear that they don’t have overall agreement on issues other than on Trump:

“Q: Why doesn’t 50501 have a “position” on certain topics?

“A: 50501 is a collection of people of differing, and sometimes opposing, ideals. Our people are from every background imaginable. Every political party, religion, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, age, ability, gender, and US state. We are everything from rich to poor, from rural to urban, from ex-maga to BLM. Everyone is here. We do not have “positions” on most topics because we contain a variety of positions. We chose to collaborate under our singular common goal: to end the executive overreach of the Trump Administration.

Collaboration does not mean we condone or endorse every single ideal held by the groups or individuals who cooperate with us. It simply means we work together to achieve our shared goal.” (The 50501 Movement Welcome Guide, p. 7/8) 

They eschew labels like “fascism”—or at least they do not use them in their published material—and they espouse a non-violent strategy:

“A core principle behind all No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events.” (No Kings Website)

“50501 is a peaceful movement. Violence of any kind will not be tolerated.” (50501 Events)

“We are dedicated to promoting nonviolence in all aspects of our interactions, fostering a culture of respect, understanding, and peaceful conflict resolution.

“We believe that dialogue, empathy, and cooperation are essential in creating a safe and just environment for all.

“Through our actions and commitments, we strive to reject harm and build a community rooted in compassion and mutual respect.”(50501 Values)

Nonetheless, they proclaim:

“On June 14—Flag Day—President Trump wants tanks in the street and a made-for-TV display of dominance for his birthday. A spectacle meant to look like strength. But real power isn’t staged in Washington. It rises up everywhere else.

“No Kings is a nationwide day of defiance. From city blocks to small towns, from courthouse steps to community parks, we’re taking action to reject authoritarianism—and show the world what democracy really looks like.

“We’re not gathering to feed his ego. We’re building a movement that leaves him behind.” (No Kings Website)

In lieu of a full programme, they state their aims are as follows:

“We call on our government to…

  • Uphold the Constitution.
  • End executive overreach.” (p. 1)

They define “executive overreach” as follows:

“Q: What does ‘Executive Overreach’ mean?

“A: ‘Executive’ refers to the executive branch of our government that includes the President, Vice President, the Cabinet, and various executive departments, agencies, boards, commissions, and committees. It is one of three branches of government that must be balanced in order for our country to function. “Overreach” refers to any actions that are beyond the scope of the executive branch as laid out in our Constitution. The Trump Administration has overextended the actions of the executive branch in ways that jeopardize American’s rights, civil liberties, and access to public services that we pay for with our taxes.” (p. 6) 

The word “movement” is repetitively emphasised, clarifying that it is not aiming at a single party:

“Q: What does ‘Movement’ mean?

A: 50501 is not an organization. It is not a company. It’s not a brand, club, or influencer. It is an agreed upon idea to end the executive overreach of the Trump Administration. Do not look to 50501 for leadership or permission to hold your own government accountable. The time has come for you to get involved. You are 50501. Together our voices cannot be ignored.” (p. 6)

In keeping with this, the movement’s leadership is somewhat opaque. To a degree, they fervently deny they have any leadership and affirm that they rely on “grassroots democracy”:

“The 50501 movement is a grassroots effort, meaning it’s powered by everyday people, not by politicians or political parties. Most of the work happens at the local level, where volunteers in local city or state groups organize protests, advertise events, and handle logistics. These local groups are the lifeblood of the movement and exist both online and in person.

“In addition to local-level organizing, national coordination between 50501 groups allows us to establish cohesive messaging, decide dates of action, and share resources. This coordination is decentralized, therefore, 50501 has no true leadership.

“50501 is not run by politicians or any political party. This Movement is beholden only to the everyday Americans who create, fund, and organize its actions and events. We, the American people, have banded together in the interest of a common goal; to end executive overreach and reject the authoritarian actions of the Trump Administration. We are not paid, or coerced into action. We are driven to act out of our sense of what is right: decency, democracy, and civil liberty for all people.” (p. 2) 

The actions they propose are:

“Take actions encouraged by the movement:

  • Call your congress-person.
  • Boycott companies that support the Trump Administration.
  • Go to town halls.
  • Run for local office.
  • Teach others about the 50501 movement.
  • Join our online and in-person protests.” (p. 4) 

Conclusions 

While the movement’s leadership is unclear to the Editors, it is very likely to be composed at the national level of a “Democratic Party” leadership.

At this critical juncture, the overall philosophy that is needed is one of a United Front. Lenin emphasized the necessity of United Front tactics in bringing about historic social change. He also cautioned that we must remain open to compromises and occasional changes in direction in order for the working class to take eventual steps forward towards real political power with and for the working class.

The present movement is both nascent and perhaps rather naive with regard to its objections and parameters. However, it is our opinion that all Marxist-Leninists should support it, and try to be perceived as helpful in leading it. Only this can turn the movement into a realisation that the UF’s current positions are inadequate, and that a movement to the socialist revolution is the only way forward.

Hari Kumar for MLRG.online