The Left Berlin News & Comment

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Category: Campaign of the week

Nakba75

Freedom of speech is a universal human right


16/03/2023

2023 marks the 75th anniversary of the Nakba (Arabic for “catastrophe”), the violent expulsion and ethnic cleansing of 750.000 Palestinians from their hometowns between 1947 and 1949 in the course of the founding of the State of Israel. Palestinians commemorate the Nakba every year on the 15th of May.

Last year however, from the 13th to the 15th of May 2022, all public commemoration of the Nakba was banned in Berlin, harming basic democratic rights of freedom of speech and assembly. Whoever seemed to be demonstrating was arrested, which came to a total of 27 arrests and fines of over 8.000 euros in total.

The ban on assemblies around their day of mourning is not only a matter for the Palestinians. This precedent is an alarming door opener for further restrictions on freedom of expression and thus a matter for all democratically minded people in Germany.

That is why the #nakba75 campaign is calling for the defence of the basic democratic rights to freedom of expression and assembly on 75th anniversary of the Nakba. Together with all people who stand up for democracy and freedom, we want to commemorate the Nakba on Saturday, the 20th of May 2023, with a nationally mobilized, central large-scale demonstration in the capital Berlin.

Commemorating the Nakba is a right that should not have to be fought for. Freedom of expression and assembly are universal human rights!

You can find the campaign

  • on Instagram @nakba_75
  • On Facebook under the name #nakba75
  • on this Telegram channel for Updates:

to find out more about the last years Nakba Ban and if you want to support the campaign, you can do so under www.nakba-ban.org.

BerlinZusammen

Stop the Coalition of Regression


BerlinZusammen (Berlin together) demands: no coalition led by the CDU in Berlin, no right wing conservative regression for our City!

BerlinZusammen is a growing alliance of progressive actors from civil society who engage themselves in different areas for a liveable future for our city. Many have been active for years. Given the real prospect that Berlin could be once more governed by the CDU, we have come together to stop a coalition of regression. Berlin needs a social and participative politics, free of discrimination and for climate justice.

For this reason, BerlinZusammen is organising a Demo this Saturday with the following demand: no CDU-led coalition in Berlin, no right wing conservative regression for our City! For an open, diverse and social city for everyone!

During the preparation of the demo, several initiatives have also shown a broad Berlin-wide network or alliance, We also want to work together in the future and unite our forces.

We have numerous issues which connect us, from racist security politics, unaffordable rents, speculation in housing, the trend to privatisation of the health service, right up to insufficiently affordable or sustainable mobility options.

City politics needs a massive change of direction in many areas, where the CDU will not be helpful. For this reason, we demand as a group from initiatives and organisations from civil society a clear NO from members of the Berlin SPD to a Black-Red coalition. We are taking to the streets for a different city politics, centred on the joint vision of an open, social and sustainable city for everyone who lives in it.

Join us:

Support the demo call Stop the coalition of regression.

Join us on the Demo on Saturday 18th March, from 12 o’clock at Hermannplatz

Mobilise the people you know. Let us together send out a clear singnal for an open Berlin.

All initiatives, groups and individuals are invited to join us. Organisations which sign the call to action can say that they are interested in taking part in the formation process after the demo of a broad network extra-parliamentary alliance. These possibilities and the ways in which we achieve them can be explicitly discussed together and from the basis upwards.

Germans for Scottish Independence

Coordinating people in Germany who are fighting for Scottish independence


09/03/2023

Germans for Scottish Independence, formed in 2013, are a relaxed association of individuals with very different biographies, motivations and objectives.

People from Scotland and from the German speaking world connect; Scots in Germany, Germans in Scotland, people who are interested in the respective cultures of those nations and those who have family or business connections between both countries. Some of us were there from the beginning, some joined over the years and others after the EU referendum in 2016.

The group is cross-party and democratic but without a definite hierarchy and individual members represent radical left wing as well as business orientated views. There are many different thoughts and ideas on issues like NATO membership for an independent Scotland, the future currency and the position of the Monarchy. However, the opinions and views of each individual do not necessarily represent those of the group as a whole.

Mutual acceptance and respect is our top priority, as much as Scotland’s independence is our consensus.

Nevertheless, Germans for Scottish Independence remain united by the progressive goals of the independence movement. In particular, we support the removal of British Weapons of Mass Destruction from Scotland, energy transition, peaceful internationalism, the safeguarding and expansion of social standards, free and classless education, a free and fair health system as well as EU membership and much more.

People with extreme right wing and/or nationalistic ideals are not welcome by Germans for Scottish Independence.

This focus on social networks is an intentional approach as we are geographically wide spread yet work together over many borders. We also try to be visible outside the internet and work tangible and effective – for this reason are we planning a demonstration in Berlin.

On Saturday, 11th March, we are organising an international demonstration for Scottish independence in Berlin. Together with European neighbors and supporters from all over the world we want to send a united signal to Westminster and to Scotland! A broad, colorful and peaceful, but strong and solidary signal of support for Scottish independence.

The demonstration starts at 11am at Brandenburger Tor. At 7pm, we will be organising a Jam Session for Scottish Independence – a Post-Demo Meet-Up in Arcanoa, Tempelhofer Berg 8. Arcanoa is one of Kreuzberg’s most atmospheric small venues, where you have a couple of well-earned beverages and play and listen to some live music.

There’ll be a number of planned acts to set the ball rolling, including Kevin Gore & Mr. Moon, Tina Jünnemann and Bodhrán Slippy, then the stage will open to any other willing participants for some acoustic open stage and jamming.

Alliance of Internationalist Feminists

Intersectional groups, networks & people who define themselves as women* and/or trans*people


02/03/2023

We, Alliance of Internationalist Feminists, are women of color (BIWOC), migrant and refugee women from different groups, networks and individuals. Our feminism is intersectional and our fight is against racism, colonialism, capitalism, imperialism, and patriarchy.

Today All around the world oppressed people are rising up – intertwined in their struggles for liberation, justice and self-determination. Don’t look away anymore! Our resistance and us have been here all along. 

We are roaring; From Iran to Palestine, from Sudan to Kurdistan, from Peru to Afghanistan, from Chad to the Philippines, from South Africa to India.

We are in rage; in every corner and street, in the mountains and at the sea, at the borders and in the camps, in every occupied land and territory, in factories, in working places, in the schools, at home and inside prisons.

We are fighting together, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, with one strong Fist, we are building an internationalist front to abolish femicide, state violence, dictatorship, patriarchy, imperialism, colonialism and white supremacy. 

In the name of our Sisterhood we will create a world without war, sanctions, exploitation, occupation, border regimes, neoliberal policies, the plundering of peoples’ land and resources and any form of elitism. This is not anymore a dream. This is our existing resistance! 

We, Alliance of Internationalist Feminists, believe self-organization and self-defense is our strength. The fight of each sister is the fight of us all. We honor our sisters from the Global South, especially trans women*, working class women*, disabled women*, refugee women*, Black women*, Indigenous women* and women* of Colour who have always been in front leading the fight. 

We Invite all Women, Trans and Non binary People to take the street together on this 8th of March. Let us show our determination and autonomy beyond borders. Let us be Loud together in the name of “women*, life, freedom”, In the name of our rage and resistance: OUR REVOLUTION IS COMING!

+ * This asterisk is intended to make clear that there is a whole range of gender identities (not just “female” and “male”) who are experiencing gender violence and feminicide. Historically trans women were excluded from (cis) women spaces. This sign is here to show that we are aware of this topic and that we distance ourselves clearly from every TERF ideology.

++ Cis men are not invited, they are advised to take other actions to stop violence against women*

OUR REVOLUTION IS COMING

Revolutionary Internationalist 8th of March 2023 in Berlin

Where: 8th of March 2023, 2pm

Where: From Frankfurter Tor to Women* Prison in Lichtenberg

Pride Art

Art in a time of war


22/02/2023

5 years ago Lars Deike founded prideART in his studio on Wiesenweg near Ostkreuz. Many group exhibitions followed, partly in my showroom in the Brezel in Schöneberg, partly in the factory hall of the prideART Ateliers and the Trabi workshops in Friedrichshain. In 2022 we founded a non-profit art association, prideART Berlin e.V. Today, with A. David Holloway, Markus Hoffmann-Achenbach and Michael Smejkal at the helm prideART occupies a wing of The Knast a former women’s prison in Berlin-Lichterfelde. 

Membership to prideART Berlin e.V. Is open to LGBTQ+ artists from all disciplines and we encourage all interested parties to contact us for more information. 

After a year of prideART e. V. this Friday we have one of our largest exhibitions, the Friedens Ausstellung/Pride Art Peace Exhibition VERNISSAGE, with over 45 artists.  

24th of February to commemorate a year of the war in Ukraine at 19:00 we open our first exhibition of 2023. Entry is free, 18+ unless with parental supervision. We are unfortunately at the moment not wheelchair accessible. 

Söhtstrasse 7, 12203, Berlin-Lichterfelde 

www.prideart.eu

@prideart_berlin (Insta)