#280: Political violence, antisemitism case, fan zone, drama at Union
The shops are closed on Thursday - except those on our list.
Dear 20 Percent,
Another sign of our troubled times: In the run up to the European elections in June, there’s been an uptick in politically motivated violence against party campaigners in Germany. Thankfully, there have been no egregious cases of physical assault in Berlin of late but campaigners getting verbally abused or posters being destroyed are commonplace.
Outside the capital, In the Brandenburg town of Schöneiche, a group of drunk teens attacked people putting up Die Linke posters — and allegedly shouted far-right slogans.
In Dresden, an SPD politician was beaten up by teenagers (triggering the above solidarity demo) — the perpetrators are often very young. There are signs that many younger Germans (particularly men) are turning towards the AfD and far-right ideology.
It has to be said, that while the latest cases of harrassment and violence have been against SPD, Green and Linke politicians, AfD politicians are also targeted. While we’re nowhere close to 1920s levels of political violence, there’s a disturbing whiff of the ultra-polarised Weimar Era in the air. I know, it’s the same in countries around the world, but it doesn’t make it any more reassuring to witness this in Germany in 2024.
More news below.
Maurice
PS. Achtung, Achtung! Thursday is a public holiday (Ascension Day). Shops will be closed — except for these ones.
PPS. Many thanks to our sponsor, insurance provider Feather, which is offering a free webinar on optimising your health insurance on May 14.
Factory fire
On Friday, a large fire broke out in a factory belonging to Diehl Metal Applications in Lichterfelde, sending huge clouds of possibly toxic smoke into the air across western Berlin. Dozens of firefighters worked well into the weekend to contain the blaze. The building has partially collapsed. The fact that Diehl manufactures the Iris-T SLM air defence missile system — though not at its Berlin location — has fueled speculation about a possible arson attack. Germany has delivered three Iris-T SLM systems to Ukraine and the CEO of Diehl Defence was part of a delegation of business leaders that accompanied Economy Minister Robert Habeck on a trip to Ukraine in April.
Judgement in antisemitism row
Another chapter in the fraught discussion over alleged antisemitism in the culture scene: The Oyoun arts centre in Neukölln has won a second legal victory against Der Tagesspiegel newspaper. In preliminary injunction proceedings on 26 April, a Berlin court ordered “to prohibit the assertion of 'anti-Semitic statements' in relation to Oyoun”, the cultural centre announced Monday, according to taz. The Tagesspiegel Checkpoint newsletter of April 2 insinuated that Oyoun had “problems with antisemitic statements”. The court ordered Tagesspiegel to redact the text. Oyoun won a similiar case in March: Tagesspiegel had written about “antisemitic incidents” at the centre but was ordered to change the phrasing to “antisemitic incidents by third parties”. The Berlin culture department stopped funding Oyoun at the end of 2023, because it hosted an event by Israel-critical left-wing group “Jewish Voice for Peace”, which has also been accused of antisemitism.
Fan zone closure
In preparation for the Euro 2024 football tournament, the Straße des 17. Juni that runs from the Brandenburg Gate to to Siegessäule (Victory Column) was closed to traffic on Monday to begin work on the Fan Zone. The stretch will remain closed for cars and cyclists through July 26. On days with no events planned, cyclists will be able to navigate through the area, though they’ll have to take detours on paths running through the Tiergarten park. The tournement kicks off June 14 with Germany v. Scotland in Munich. The final will be played July 14 in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium.
Union coach sacked
We’re not a football newsletter but this is a big deal. Berlin’s 1. FC Union has fired its Croatian manager Nenad Bjelica as the club struggles against possible relegation from the top league. They’re now in 15th place after four defeats in five matches with two games remaining. Bjelica was hired in November to save the flailing East Berlin side from dropping out of the top division — to no avail. In recent years, Union rose above westside rival Hertha BSC in the Bundesliga. Relegation would mean no capital city team in the top German league.
Some tips from our friends over at The Next Day Berlin, including their own party!
Bakefest
Thursday, 09.05, 3 pm. Baketown, Kolonnenstrasse 27, Schönenberg. Tickets: €34.58.
Berlin Meets NYC underground music, showcasing R&B, pop, and hip-hop at this festival. The line-up features 🎧 duendita, 🎧 Salomon Faye, 🎧 Selassie, Jaxx TMS + 🎧 Slimgirl fat.
Bite Club
Friday, 10.05, from 5 pm. Arena Berlin, Kreuzberg. Entrance from 5 pm at Eichenstrasse 4, and 6 pm via the Badeschiff. Tickets: €4.
Berlin’s Famous Street Food Party with food trucks, pop-up kitchens, drinks, and a big disco beach floor! If the weather permits, you can swim at Badeschiff. Don’t forget to pack your bathing suit. 👙
Berlin E-Prix Saturday-Sunday, 10-11.05, Tempelhof Airport. Formula E is back in Berlin for all-electric, carbon-neutral car racing's 10th visit to the German capital as the drivers race the Tempelhof circuit. 2024 sees an all-new layout and a fresh new challenge on the concrete apron of the old airport.
The Next Day Berlin Celebration
Sunday, 12.05, 4 - 10 pm. Estelle Dining, Kopenhagener Str. 12A, Prenzlauer Berg. Free entrance.
Join us for our first event with Estelle Dining to celebrate Mother’s Day. Enjoy the yummy Pondji cheese ball (cheese bread), caipirinhas, and natural wine from Sips on Prenzlauer Berg's sunniest terrace and meet the people behind The Next Day. Music curation: 🎧 Barbara Boeing.
Factoid
The summer season has begun at several of Berlin’s outdoor public pools (Freibäder) and managed beaches (Strandbäder) . To prevent the overcrowding and fights we’ve seen in recent summers, operator Berliner Bäder Betriebe (BBB) has introduced additional security measures. Like last year, all bathers aged 14 and older are required to show ID at the gates. Bags undergo security checks. All types of tickets are now available online — and five pools (Pankow, Neukölln, Insulaner, Humboldthain und Kreuzberg) will accept only online tickets after 10am in the months June, July and August. A new online traffic light warning system (Germany loves a good traffic light warning system) will inform swimmers how full a pool is on a given day.
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