Wednesday, April 24
Berlin terminates two girls* welfare centres for pro-Palestine views
The political crackdown on funding for organisations that disagree with the state position on Israel’s war on Gaza continues in Berlin as two leftist girls* welfare organisations (one in Friedrichshain, one in Kreuzberg) have had their contracts terminated “with immediate effect”. The reason? According to an article in the Tagesspiegel, the state ended the contracts due to “hatred of Israel and antisemitism”. But what is the evidence for this hatred?
The behaviour for which staff members at the FRIEDA-Frauen*Zentrum e.V are now being censored includes joining marches supporting Palestine, having the banned slogan “From the River to the Sea” on a private Instagram profile and appearing as a speakers at the Palestine Congress – an event which was then controversially shut down by German authorities.
In a statement about their closure, organisers at FRIEDA-Frauen*Zentrum e.V wrote: “We are shocked… about the spying on employees‘ private Instagram accounts”. They continued: “we have fallen victim to the pattern of repression and intimidation… that is currently affecting people who show solidarity with the Palestinian people.”
“Our girls* facilities in Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg [are] the only queer-feminist projects in the district that offer intersectional services, support and protection, especially for migrant girls* and young women*. We will not accept the closure of queer-feminist projects and will take legal action against it.”
