The Left Berlin News & Comment

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Qweer Winter Market 2021

Queers coming together for an Arts and Crafts market


24/11/2021

On 27th and 28th November, the Qweer Winter Market will be taking place in Alte Münze.

NOTE: because of construction, the main entrance of Alte Münze is closed. Please use the side entrance.

We are bringing the Arts and Craft + hard working LGBTQIA+ entrepreneurs to all exhibit their goodies to you. Buy presents for the ones your care about (friends, family, chosen family and yourself).

It has been especially hard for them, so support them all by coming over (with your mask) and seeing what they have all been working on.

Small companies, designers, artists, e-companies and shops will exhibit their products and services to you. From Fashion items, Arts & Crafts to kinky Sex Toys, you won’t have a reason to leave empty handed, encouraging local commerce and queer businesses.

A social endeavour to celebrate love and compassion, and at the same time providing fundamental resources for a better living.

The Market is indoors in case of rain. The room has brand new ventilation system fitted in for this event. We will have over 60 stands, mostly supervised by the entrepreneurs or artists themselves.

Our first goal as project aim is to create awareness around our community, empower the local businesses and highlight amazing artists who are a great example of dedication and perseverance, united to create a better world.

Friends and allies, come to this fun market and support the community!
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Event organised by Qweer Market (Queer Xmas Market), Lusty Ice and supported by the Naughty Xmas Market. We have the support of Alte Münze for the venue itself.

Opening times:
Saturday 27.11.21 from 12:00 till 20:00
Sunday 28.11.21 from 12:00 till 20:00
Alte Münze will have a door entrance fee of 5 euro (this includes our Market and their winter entertainment)

We will be part of Alte Munze’s Winter munze. The Event will also be broadcasted live on facebook.

FOLLOW US ON TELEGRAM FOR UPDATES.

Silvio Meier Rally

Remembering the activist murdered by neo-Nazis in 1992


18/11/2021


On 21st November 1992, the squatter and anti-fascist Silvio Meier was killed by a group of neo-Nazis in the U-Bahn Samariterstraße. Since then there have been annual actions, demos, rallies, to remember both Silvio and the other fatal victims of neo-Nazi violence.

21st November 2021 is the 29th anniversary of the murder of Silvio Meier. This day fills us with sorrow, shock and anger – and reminds us how high the price can be for anti-fascist engagement. Friends and relatives lost a close friend, a father and a political activist, who never tolerated neo-Nazis.

Since then, the anger has grown, as neo-Nazi murders are still on the agenda, and the trivialisation of neo-Nazi violence is still not a rare occurrence. Countless attacks on refugees, on Jewish life in Germany, the NSU terror, the murder of Walter Lübke, the attacks in Halle and Hanau are only the best known examples, which give a rough insight into the dimension of right wing terrorism.

They, and all others who have been murdered by neo-Nazis remind us not to lose sight of an important fight. Anti-fascism was and remains self-evident. Anti-fascism is lived solidarity.

Come to the vigil and rally in Friedrichshain #Hanau #Halle #Baseballschlaegerjahre

A friend of Silvio’s who witnessed the event will report his experiences. Other speakers include Ferat Kocak, the initiative “Dieter Eich” and the young Antifa Prenzlauer Berg, There will be music from Christoph who has dedicated a song to Silvio.

Bring candles and flowers – and your friends!

Sunday, 21st November 3pm. Silvio-Meier-Straße (U-Bhf Samariter Straße)

Who was Silvio Meier?

Silvio Meier (*1965 in Quedlinburg) was already engaged in left-wing groups outside the State in the DDR. On the evangelical church day 1987 he was one of the founders of “Church from Below” (Kirche von unten, KvU). Left groups gathered in the “environmental library” around the Zionskirche in Prenzlaier Berg, Silvio Meier was one of the people who printed illegal “environment leaflets” in the church cellar. This is the same Zionskirche where the first open assault by neo-Nazi skinheads on left oppositionists took place. Two years later, he produced the opposition paper “Morning Star”.

In the “Wendezeit” when the Berlin fall fell, Silvio Meier and other Berlin-Friedrichshainer from the KvU formed the “Happy Friedrichshainer peace friends”. This group squatted one of the first houses in East Berlin in December 1989 – Schreinerstraße 47 in North Friedrichshain. Silvio Meier and some other squatters from Schreinerstraße worked in an alternative print shop.

Gorillas Workers Collective

Workers united organising for fair work conditions at @gorillasapp


11/11/2021

We are under attack!

Gorillas is undermining its workers in every possible way. They are illegally firing those who dare to strike for their basic rights. They are attempting to stop the establishment of a Workers’ Council. They are suing election workers and threatening them with jailtime. They are regularly stealing workers’ hard- earned wages. They are doing absolutely nothing to eliminate work accidents.

Precarisation is everywhere, and we must not let Gorillas be an example to other companies who wish to demolish our rights. We refuse to be their “flexible workforce”:

We say “No!” to precarisation and the exploitation of labour.

We say “No!” to unionbusting and arbitrary firings.

We say “No!” to putting workers` lives at risk because of poor work equipment.

We say “No!” to the misuse of vulnerabilities of migrant workers.

We say “No!” to being the new “Gastarbeiter”.

We, political groups and precarious workers of Berlin, come together to stand with Gorillas Workers. We demand the reinstatement of the workers who got fired for striking! An injury to one is an injury to all!

Together, we must fight to prevent this cruel gig-economy from becoming the new normal! On November 16th, the evening before the Electoral Council’s court case, we take to the streets to show that Gorillas workers are not alone – we are all affected by this! The bosses’ greed and union-busting will fall apart, but only if we stand together as one.

Schule muss Anders (School must be different)

Parents, school students, teachers, social workers, educators and others united for better schools in Berlin


04/11/2021

Schooling in Berlin is unjust. Pupils do not receive the support that they really need. Teachers, educators and social workers are overloaded, because they do not have enough co-workers. Berlin must recruit 3,000 teachers a year, but just 900 graduate from Berlin Universities. This means increasingly more tasks in decreasing amounts of time. Parents must compensate for what the school is unable to do. Berlin education politics is plugging holes, instead of supporting school students in the way they need. But school must be different (#schulemussanders) and this is possible.

In the next 5 weeks, the new coalition treaty [for the Berlin government] will be passed. This is where the educational guidelines for the next 5 years will be set.

We must decide NOW

Either we watch on as in the next 5 years holes will continue to be plugged or we finally ensure that schools and children receive what they need. Come to the demonstration, join our campaign channel on Telegram and become active.

This is why we are demonstrating together as parents, school students and staff on Saturday, 6th November at 2pm

Start: Haus der Statistik (3 minutes walk from Alexanderplatz at the corner of Karl-Marx-Allee and Otto-braun-Straße)

Final rally; 3pm in front of the Roten Rathaus

Parents, staff and school students will be joining to hand over petitions to leading politicians. The signatures on the petitions have been collected at over 100 Berlin schools.

Please being people with you

It makes a difference whether we attend the demo with 800 or 2,000 people. The more of you are there on 6th November, the greater the public pressure. The demonstration will be peaceful, and children are welcome.

You can find flyers for the demo which you can print out yourself here.

If you would like printed posters and flyer, send a mail to info@schule-muss-anders.de

Who are Schule muss anders?

The non-party education campaign “Schule muss anders” is supported by the Initiative “Schule in Not” (school in need), the Berlin alliance for school including, the Berliner Bürgerplattformen, the GEW Berlin teachers’ union, the lsfb (Landesverband der Kita- und Schulfördervereine Berlin-Brandenburg – Regional association of nursery and parent-teacher associations Berlin-Brandenburg), the teaching initiative Kreidestaub and the State stident committee. On top of this, many staff, parents and school students who have not been previously organised are active in the campaign.

What are the demands of the Campaign Schule muss anders?

  • More time for team and relationships – relief for all

  • Teams from different professions at the schools

  • More personnel and training places

  • Fight discrimination and guarantee participation

You can find further information and the details of our demands here.

Let us stand together for the future of education in this city and its schoolkids!

Saharauische Diaspora in Deutschland (Saharan Diaspora in Germany)

information and support for the cause of the Saharawi people


28/10/2021

Western Sahara, considered the last colony in Africa, has been pending decolonization for more than 45 years. A large part of this territory is illegally occupied by Morocco, which commits continuous violations against the Saharawi population, exploits the natural resources of the territory and has built a 2,700 km wall to separate the Saharawi people.

6th November 2021 sees the 46th anniversary of the “Green March” which marks the beginning of the Moroccan invasion of Western Sahara. The Saharauische Diaspora in Deutschland, supported by the LINKE Berlin Internationals and others, is organising a public meeting and a demonstration to commemorate the Event.

On Thursday, 4th November, Nayat Handi, representative of Polisario in Germany and Ubbi Bachar, representative of Polisario for the EU will be addressing a meeting in Karl Liebknecht Haus: Western Sahara: A Forgotten Struggle. Among other things, they will talk about the process of decolonization, the exploitation of natural resources, the role of the European Union The meeting will be moderated by Emma Lehbib from the Deutsche Saharauische Diaspora.

On Saturday, 6th November, the actual anniversary, there will be a demonstration to remember the tragic fate of the Saharawi people and, more importantly, to make their voice for freedom and independence heard. This will start at 1pm at Brandenburger Tor and will march to the Reichstag, where there will be music, poems, stories and speeches.

With half of the population living in refugee camps and the other half under Moroccan occupation, the Saharawi people have been struggling for four decades for their right to exist on their legitimate land.

The Saharauische Diaspora in Deutschland links Western Saharans in Germany in their struggle for freedom for Western Sahara, Africa’s last colony. They can be contacted on facebook, Twitter and Instagram.