#350: Fireworks aftermath, fewer refugees, cocaine-taxis,
Back when Berlin made its own electric cars...
Dear 20 Percent,
A week after New Year’s Eve, Berlin and Germany are still talking about the fireworks-related mayhem. Some 363 people were injured, including 58 cops. Entire buildings were damaged by kids setting off illegal bomb-like devices. Hundreds of arrests were made. Across Germany, six people were killed by exploding pyrotechnics.
Anger was directed at one person, in particular: a Palestinian tourist visiting from the West Bank. He was filmed launching a rocket into the open window of a third-floor apartment in Neukölln, where it exploded in a kid’s bedroom and caused serious damage. Luckily, no children were in the room. The 23-year-old shared the video with his 300,000 followers, resulting in millions of views.
As he was preparing to board a plane to Jordan a few days later, tabloid Bild somehow managed to interview the man: “I just wanted to celebrate. I didn’t know it was so dangerous.” Heavily armed police showed up in the middle of the conversation and arrested him. He is being charged with attempted arson, attempted bodily harm and destruction of property — and could face several months in prison.
Meanwhile, a debate over a fireworks ban is in full swing. Berlin’s police union, the GdP, posted an online petition in favour of a nationwide Verbot. “Instead of Sodom and Gomorrah on our streets, we need organised events,” the cop union writes. The petition has been signed nearly 1.8m times.
Meanwhile, politicians such as Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) expressed doubts about a national ban, since most problems were centred in large cities. So, a local Berlin ban would make sense, right? Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) is against a blanket ban, however. Which leaves us where? Faced by pressure from all sides, Wegner might cave and agree to some sort of semi-ban — of bigger fireworks or perhaps a large-scale geographic ban, inside the Ringbahn, for example.
BTW, Andrew and I discuss firework situation in Episode 3 of the 20% Berlin podcast, just out.
More news below.
Maurice
Refugee arrivals down
Last year, 35% fewer refugees arrived in Berlin compared to 2023. Berlin’s refugee office, the LAF, says 21,342 refugees were registered in the city, according to Tagesspiegel. Half were people fleeing the war in Ukraine. The other half were asylum-seekers from elsewhere in the world, said LAF boss Mark Seibert. About 41,000 people classified as refugees are currently living in Berlin. Seibert said that, with 3,900 free spots in refugee accommodation, the “serious housing shortage” had been overcome. However, 9,000 people were still living in emergency accommodation such as the one in former Tegel Airport, which has come under criticism for being overcrowded.
Pro-Palestianin occupation
About 50 student protesters occupied an auditorium at Alice-Salomon-Hochschule (ASH) to condemn German “political and financial support of Israel”. A post on Instagram said the students accuse the ASH of “silence and perceived hypocrisy, promoting values of human rights and diversity while allegedly ignoring genocidal violence, perpetuating racism, and protecting discriminatory structures on campus.” The vocational university, founded in 1899 by Alice Salomon, a strong advocate for women's rights and social justice, is focused on training social workers. Protesters accused ASH of “siding with narratives that stigmatize Palestinian solidarity as antisemitism.” Police showed up at the protest but made no arrests. The protesters ended the occupation on their own accord.
“Cocaine-taxi” raid
Cops searched 10 Berlin properties linked to four men aged 24 to 33 suspected of insurance fraud. According to prosecutors, the men have been paying private insurance rates on the cars since 2021 despite running a car rental business with them. What was that “car rental business?” Allegedly, the vehicles were being used as Koks-Taxis, i.e. to deliver drugs to clients. What will they think of next?
Events this week, curated by The Next Day Berlin:
💃Tanztage Berlin 2025
Thursday, 09.01 – Saturday, 25.01, various times. Sophiensaele, Sophienstr. 18, 10178 Berlin. Ticket: €10/15.
Tanztage Berlin’s 34th edition showcases four premieres, six revivals, workshops, and discourse programs on scarcity, body politics, and burnout. Our highlights are "Auro Orso: Pereo Entre Los Mundos" and "Kysy Fischer: Super Superficial." Despite funding cuts, the festival presents 10 works celebrating Berlin’s emerging dance scene.
🫁 BreathConductor Live: A Multi-Sensory Breathing Experience
Thursday, 9.01, 6 pm – 9 pm. Prinzessinnenstrasse 16, Berlin. Free entry with RSVP.
Muvik Labs combines music, visuals, and vibrations to create an interactive experience that guides your breath and promotes relaxation and balance. Stay for 15 minutes or longer and feel the calm effortlessly.
🪩Renate Klubnacht: Amy Dabbs, Mystery Kid, JANE, DAHRAXT, Local Suicide, Shia LaBiff
Friday, 10.01, 11 pm – 8 am. Renate, Alt Stralau 70, 10245 Berlin.
A night of house and techno. Our highlights include 🎧 Local Suicide’s technodisco—a fusion of new wave, EBM, and dark techno—and 🎧 Amy Dabbs’ groove-infused beats.
🎺 Flatland Prayer – Live
Sunday, 12.01, Doors 6:30 pm, Show 8:00 pm. Rhinoçéros, Rhinower Str. 3, 10437 Berlin. Table charge: €15.
The first Sunday service at Rhinoçéros features 🎧 Flatland Prayer, mixing American jazz and folk with avant-garde improvisation. It's an intimate evening of soulful harmonies in my favorite listening bar in Berlin.
🍺 🥨 Germany-wide news 🥨 🍺
💻 Far-right online crime on the rise
🛂 Germany launches visa application site
🥸 Dual nationals charged with spying on US bases
🚄 A third of DB long distance trains are late
Factoid
120 years before a certain troll who couldn’t get into Berghain opened an electric car factory in Brandenburg, Berlin was a major centre of the electric car industry. Some 40-odd companies were producing electric vehicles, which were outselling gasoline-powered automobiles at the time. The peak of the Berlin EV boom was probably the launch of the Siemens “Viktoria” (photo), which had a range of 80km per charge. The vehicle was used as a taxi and delivery truck for a few years, before cars with combustion engines began to dominate the market.
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‘A certain troll’…ha-ha!
Not normally in favour of the weird elitism exercised by places such as Berghain, but their refusal to admit him is to be hugely applauded!
With regard to the fireworks, as an exile from the UK, well, I simply do not get it. It is utter madness here. Apparently, it’s a central to east European problem, or so I’ve been told by some friends who originate from some of those said places, but I’ve never experienced anything like it anywhere else in the world. Complete madness, and, it goes without saying, needless!
Ban them!
Ha, I read that electric cars gave IC ones a run for their money in early 20C but were banned (in the US) because they were too quiet and might hurt someone. Wonder if it was actually protectionism if the Germans were way ahead in that tech, or whether that was too early for people to bother shipping cars between continents.