News from Berlin and Germany, 8th October 2025

Weekly news round-up from Berlin and Germany


08/10/2025

NEWS FROM BERLIN

All musicians cancel appearances on Böhmermann’s HKW show

All concerts planned as part of the Jan Böhmermann exhibition “Die Möglichkeit der Unvernunft” (The Possibility of Irrationality) at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW) have been canceled by the artists. This comes after independent Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer accused rapper Chefket of having antisemitic views based on a shirt the rapper wears in videos on Instagram. The shirt shows the outline of a stylized map of the Middle East, depicting Palestine but not Israel. Böhmermann canceled Chefket’s concert due to public pressure. Weimer is highly controversial in the cultural scene. In 2025 a petition was launched against his appointment as Minister of State for Culture, which gathered over 70,000 signatures—partly out of concern that he would not stand for an open and critical cultural landscape. Source: rbb

Thousands demonstrate in Berlin against armament and war

On October 3, several thousand people demonstrated at Bebelplatz in Berlin against armament and war. They responded to a call from various peace initiatives and organizations, which also called for a similar demonstration in Stuttgart at the same time. The police reported around 7,500 demonstrators, while the organizers spoke of 20,000. In a statement, the organizers said that “arms buildup” in Germany was leading to massive debt, drastic social cuts, and the militarization of society. “This is particularly at the expense of children and young people, the elderly and the sick, as well as working people.” Source: bz

Protest at CDU headquarters

A protest by the “New Generation” group at the CDU headquarters in Berlin on October 6 was stopped by the police. Several demonstrators stuck at least one poster to the building near the Tiergarten, and some also managed to get inside. They also wanted to distribute symbolic banknotes. The police quickly arrived on the scene with a large contingent and temporarily detained some of the demonstrators. The group “Neue Generation” (New Generation) announced that, under the slogan “the climate glue is back,” they wanted to block doors and entrances with superglue and expose “mafia-like power networks.” Source: rbb                 

NEWS FROM GERMANY

Middle East experts call on German government to change its policy on Israel

Given the war in the Gaza Strip and the catastrophic humanitarian situation of the Palestinian population there, a group of Middle East experts has called for a fundamental reorientation of German policy on Israel. They point out that Germany’s historical responsibility should not result in unrestricted support for the Israeli government: the guideline of “reason of state” has “placed support for the Israeli government above Germany’s legal and moral obligations.” The more than 100 signatories to the position paper include former EU Foreign Affairs Representative Josep Borrell and former Israeli Parliament President Avraham Burg. Source: msn

“Or we start to fight back”

In the “Report from Berlin”, Bavarian Minister-President Söder (CSU) advocates quickly creating the conditions for shooting drones down. In recent weeks, numerous drone sightings in Europe have caused unrest. Most recently, operations at Munich Airport were temporarily suspended as a result. Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) has now announced the creation of a joint drone defense center. A legal basis for the German Armed Forces’ involvement will also be created, a particularly controversial issue. Federal Minister of Justice Stefanie Hubig (SPD) warns: “Drone defense is a core security policy task.” Source: tagesschau

Palantir software for the police: is there any alternative?

In Baden-Württemberg, the police are to be given a software that allows them to quickly search for information from various databases. Last March, the CDU-led Ministry of the Interior chose Palantir’s “Gotham” – initially without the approval of its Green coalition partner. The state is paying around 25 million euros for a five-year contract with Palantir, based on the framework agreement that the state of Bavaria concluded with the company after a Europe-wide tender. The two major police unions in the state agree: the police need a program like this. However, Robert Simmeth, the managing director at the software company SAS, believes that “there are definitely alternatives to this decision.” Source: swr

“Voluntary service alone is not sufficient”

In the talk show Caren Miosga, on October 5, Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) formulated a clear expectation regarding the current debate on military service. He believes that, in the long run, the Federal Republic will not be able to avoid a return to universal conscription. Merz fundamentally supported the voluntary model planned by Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD). “We want to try to achieve this with the SPD on a voluntary basis for now. I am skeptical. If we succeed, so much the better.” He also commented on the issue of drone sightings, speaking out in favor of the rapid development of a drone defense system. Source: bz

Israel allegedly attacked activists with German submarine

According to CBS News, the drone attacks on ships in the international Gaza flotilla in early September originated from an Israeli submarine, which could be one of the six Israeli Dolphin-class submarines built in Germany. At that time, the activists were anchored in the Tunisian port of Sidi Bou Said. Organized by the Global Sumud Initiative, around 400 people wanted to break through Israel’s blockade and deliver aid supplies. The drones, which allegedly launched from a submarine, dropped incendiary devices on two ships of the flotilla. No one was injured. However, if such acts were indeed carried out by an external actor, this constitutes a clear violation of Tunisian sovereignty. Source: nd

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