Hello everyone,
Yet another very busy week ahead of us in Berlin. Here are some of the highlights.
Tomorrow (Friday) is our latest Reading Group on Palestine. This week’s discussion focuses on Palestinian Resistance. You can view the suggested reading here. We won’t have the time to read the articles together, so please try and read them in advance and arrive on time. If you are coming, please use the same link to register, so we have a rough idea of who’s coming. The meeting starts at 7pm. The venue is once more the H48 Projektraum. For those of you who weren’t there last week, this is in the back courtyard of Hermannstraße 48 on the first floor (ring the buzzer “Projektraum”). Everybody is invited to join the discussion.
On Saturday at 2pm, join the latest demonstration Stop the Genocide in Gaza for Palestine, for justice, for liberation! The German repressive system, the police violence, the ridiculous yet dangerous attempts to defame solidarity with Palestine–has not, and will not stop us to come together. After 47 days of ruthless, ceaseless attacks on the besieged population of the Gaza strip, and with the full and unconditional support of the United states and several EU powers, including Germany, Palestinians in Gaza are still exposed to ethnic cleansing and genocide. The demonstration meets at Blochplatz in Gesundbrunnen. If you would like to march with other internationals, you can meet us between U-Bahn Gesundbrunnen and the main entrance of the Gesundbrunnen Center at 1:45pm.
On Saturday at 6pm, Ararat Berlin and Cafe Arakil have organised an event, They didn’t know we were seeds: An Armenian, Palestinian, Kurdish Soliküche. The fire burning across our ancestral lands is raging anew and by no coincidence all at once: Artsakh, Gaza, Rojava, Rojhilat. Behind each of these names—and many more—are people who have refused to be torn out by the roots. Join us for an evening of nourishment and exchange. We’ll bring our cuisines and music together and raise funds for each of our causes. The event takes place at @cafe_arakil in @spore.initiative Hermannstr. 86.
On Sunday at 4pm, the Berlin LINKE Internationals has organised a Küfa and Palestinian Film Evening. The event takes place at Bilgisaray, Oranienstraße 45 and offers Palestinian dishes. Between 7pm and around 9:30pm a series of films about Palestine will be shown (you can see a list in the Event description). All money raised will be split equally between covering the costs for the demonstration for Palestine on 2nd December in Berlin and supporting Oyoun’s fundraiser against losing all their funding because they hosted an event by a Jewish organisation. Please join, have fun, and donate generously to support two important causes.
On Monday at 7pm, it’s the Berlin LINKE Internationals again with their monthly planning meeting followed by a discussion on Die LINKE – benefits, problems, and alternatives. The LINKE Internationals group receives some funding from the party. At our last meeting we decided to stay in the party and fight for radical politics, but to continue to monitor the state of the party and our relationship to it, including possible alternatives. On Monday, we will continue this discussion, with an input by Freek Blauwhof, Dutch socialist who works for MP Pascal Meiser in the Bundestag. Everyone is invited to join this discussion, which takes place in Ferat Kocak’s office, Schierker Straße 26.
On Tuesday at 7pm, the campaign Anmeldung für Alle will be launched at a meeting in the Grüner Salon, Rosa Luxemburg Platz 2. The commodification of living space in Berlin affects everyone, in particular migrants. Alongside housing speculation, rising prices, and the resulting competition, limitations like “no Anmeldung possible” to a vicious circle. Without Anmeldung there’s no work, and without work you can’t get the Anmeldung you need to get an Anmeldung. The event will be in English, but we will simultaneously translate in Spanish, Portuguese and German. Anmeldung für Alle is our Campaign of the Week.
There is much more going on in Berlin, it’s another very busy week. To find out what’s happening, go to our Events page. You can also see a shorter, but more detailed list of events in which we are directly involved in here.
Remember that we are also involved in organising a few events next weekend.
- Saturday, 9th December, 2pm: theleftberlin open editorial meeting, Bligisaray, Oranienstraße 45
- Saturday, 9th December from 5pm: Berlin LINKE Internationals Non-Christmas Party, Bilgisaray, Oranienstraße 45
- Sunday, 10th December, 2pm Walking Tour: Red Wedding on the March, meet at Badstraße 38
More information in next week’s Newsletter.
In News from Berlin, thousands protest in Berlin against war, childcare workers and teachers strike for better pay and working conditions, and controversy around the Olympiastadion continues around Germany’s bid to host the Olympics.
In News from Germany, Jewish artist’s video installation about prostitution is cancelled, Peng! Collective protests against Amazon on Black Friday, train strike is back on after employers show no will to negotiate, insolvencies in Germany reach a record high, and car summit to discuss “electromobility”.
Read all about it in this week’s News from Berlin and Germany.
This week on theleftberlin, Ferat Kocak argues that the fights against racism and antisemitism must be united, we print the text of the JK Langford performance at the Jüdische Stimme 20th anniversary, we argue why Palestine is a trade union issue, Eleri Connick argues that we must recognise Palestinian agency, and Berlin-based Israeli poet Mati Shemoelof grieves for what is happening in his homeland.
Outside the discussion around Palestine, the Bloque Lateinamericano Berlin look at Argentina’s new right-wing president Javier Milei. we argue that more police is no solution to address the problems around Görlitzer Park, and Nathaniel Flakin recalls when Germany’s Green vice-chancellor glorified a mass murderer.
This week’s Video of the Week shows Letzte Generation’s mass occupation of the Straße des 17, Juni last Saturday.
You can follow us on the following social media:
- We also support the Berlin LINKE Internationals facebook page.
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