31.12.2023 (So) 22:30 Uhr Richardplatz — Sonnenallee — Hermannplatz, Neukölln

☉ 31.12.2023 (So) 22:30  ⚲ Richardplatz — Sonnenallee — Hermannplatz, Neukölln

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⚠️ Following anti-Arab, anti-Palestinian & islamphobic rationale by the police, our demonstration on New Year's Eve is BANNED.

✊🏽 We refuse the intensive isolation and policing of Sonnenalle, and we ask everyone to keep their eyes on Sonnenallee on NYE!

Global South United & Egypt Diaspora

Our Demonstration on New Year's Eve is BANNED.

The police informed us that our demonstration planned for 22:30 on 31.12.2023, at Richardplatz/ Sonnenalle, has been banned.

The police cited very racist reasons for this effective banning, i.e. that violence can easily erupt in these neighbourhoods, and that they expect people in this part of the city to be aggressive. The letter citing the reasons for the ban is brimming with Islamophobia, prejudice over "anticipated anti-Semitism", and sheer ignorance of the reality. More importantly, it is quite representative of the German state's unwavering support to Israel, citing the typical narrative conflating anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism as well. We will share some extracts of the police's official banning letter soon.

While deliberating with the police over the phone, we asked if other alternatives such as Kreuzberg or Wedding would be possible, and they refused citing similar reasons. They offered us Mitte or "Alexanderplatz" as an alternative, which we see as a TRAP; as this may very well be the most unsafe space for any person of colour on New Year's Eve, particularly if it is people demonstrating for Palestinian solidarity. We rejected this alternative that distances us from our community.

Additionally, the police certainly did not care for our safety by offering us a hostile environment as an alternative, which would have endangered us in many ways.

The German state and the Berlin police made it clear through the media during the past weeks that Sonnenallee will be intensively policed on that day, which is one reason why we chose this location despite our awareness of the potential risks entailed.

The following factors also contributed to our choice of the location:

  • Our community is concentrated in Sonnenalle, and it has always been a hub for both Arab and non-Arab solidarity movements.

  • Familiarity of the location to the majority of potential participants.

  • Solidarity is a two-way street. The repression that Sonnenallee has witnessed in the past three months for showing solidarity with Palestine obliges us to stand with our community there as well.

We refuse the intensive isolation and policing of Sonmenalle, and we ask everyone to keep their eyes on Sonnenallee on NYE.