Berlin-Neukölln: District mayor appalled – police see pro-Palestine concert as a gathering

The Berlin-Neukölln district office has been informed that a pro-Palestine concert by communist groups was approved as a political gathering in the district on Friday evening. The event is scheduled to take place at 6 p.m. on Thomashöhe.

“On the one hand, we don’t get enough money from the state to maintain our green spaces – and on the other hand, a concert is approved in a green space where, based on all the experiences of the last few months, anti-Semitic slogans are shouted,” said district mayor Martin Hikel (SPD) to the “Tagesspiegel”. “To put it diplomatically, I lack understanding for this decision by the assembly authority.”

The assembly authority at the Berlin police registered the concert as a rally under the title “Solidarity rally with political speeches and artistic acts for Palestine”. The organizer is the Left Party MP Ferat Koçak, the assembly leader is another person. According to the posters, the “Solidarity Concert for Palestine” is organized by the “League of Communists” (BDK) and its “Communist Youth League”.

“Organization of militants”

Donations will be collected at the event, with the money going to the “Palestinian Peoples Party” and “their comrades in Gaza”. Profits raised at the concert will go to “local anti-repression work on the subject of Palestine”, motto: “Against police violence, genocide and apartheid. Berlin stands for Palestine.”

The organizer BDK sees itself as an association of comrades “from different autonomous, post-autonomous, migrant and socialist organizational approaches.” Its goal is “to be an effective organization of militants based on a clear program and statute.”