Hello everyone,
We apologise for the late arrival of this newsletter as a result of technical difficulties.
Monday sees the start of Ake Dikhea, the 7th International Festival of Romani Film under the motto “Decolonise Imagination!” The world of art is seen by many as the embodiment of freedom, the imagination as a resource of infinite possibilities. In film, in fairy tales, on the screen or in the theatre, everything seems to be achievable. But when it comes to Roma, the imagination quickly reaches its limits, guided by centuries-old processes of othering and colonisation in the minds of society. The festival takes part at Babylon cinema and the Grüne Salon (both on Rosa Luxemburg Platz) and runs until Sunday.
Unfortunately, Monday’s planned public meeting by the Berlin LINKE Internationals on Ongoing Decolonisation: France’s Economic and Political Interests in West Africa has had to be cancelled after one of the speakers was involved in a car accident. The LINKE Internationals are still organising a discussion on Die LINKE, Palestine, and the Left Internationals pm Monday, 9th November. This is a partly internal discussion but is open to anyone who is interested in the subject.
We’d like to be able to announce demonstrations against the inhumane bombing of Gaza, but in Berlin they’ve all been banned. If we hear of any planned activities, we’ll let you know.
Not this week, but on Sunday, 9th December, there are events in Bilgisaray, Oranienstraße 45. More information in future Newsletters, but you can save the date now.
- theleftberlin is having an open face-to-face editorial meeting for editorial board members and anyone who’s interested in what we do.
- Later on, the Berlin LINKE Internationals are having a non-Christmas party.
There are many more activities this week in Berlin, which are listed on our Events page. You can also see a shorter, but more detailed list of events which we are directly involved in here.
This week’s Campaign of the Week Help Us Reunite is an attempt to bring together a Cameroonian woman in Berlin with the son that she has not seen in 4 years. You can send donations to Help us Reunite here.
In News from Berlin, Palestine demonstrations in Berlin are banned – including one organised by Jews, police break up protests in Neukölln, one demonstration for Palestine is allowed – and attracts an unexpected number of people, Bernie Sanders visits Berlin and attacks “extremists on both sides” in Israel/Palestine, and Berlin sinks in the Smart City Index.
In News from Germany, antisemitism is on the rise in Germany, Palestines also have reason to be afraid, and Elon Musk links to a video calling for an AfD victory in German elections.
Read all about it in this week’s News from Berlin and Germany.
This week on theleftberlin, we have an unapologetic concentration on Palestine (despite the taz condemning us for being the left-wing friends of the Islamists). In an extended version of an article we published last week, Rahaf Abu Alhassan looks at the ongoing terror in Gaza. Aisling Salim reflects on the Left’s attitude to Hamas, Nathaniel Flakin gives an Ausländer’s perspective of the demo bans in Germany, and a collection of Palestinian and Jewish groups document the police repression of Palestinians in Berlin. Meanwhile, Andrei Belibou looks at the recent gains of the AfD in East and West Germany.
This week’s Video of the Week shows members of the Palestine campaign reading out their statement on Racist Police Violence and the repression of Palestinians and Palestine Solidarity in Berlin.
In this week’s Radio programme of the Week, Radio Berlin International talks to Nadija Samour, a criminal defence lawyer who has been busy with a flood of cases against Palestinians and their supporters in Berlin.
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If you would like to contribute any articles or have any questions or criticisms about our work, please contact us at team@theleftberlin.com. And please do encourage your friends to subscribe to this Newsletter.
Keep on fighting,
The Left Berlin Editorial Board