The Left Berlin Newsletter, 14th May 2026
Nakba Day: Commemorate, Demonstrate, Come to Palivision!
Welcome to this week’s Left Berlin Newsletter.
Tomorrow sees the 78th anniversary of the Nakba - the forced displacement of half the Palestinian population, and the cause of many of the problems in the region today. On Saturday there will be both a national demonstration in Hamburg, and a Berlin demonstration which starts at Oranienplatz at 2pm.
Disgracefully, on Nakba week-end, the Eurovision Song Contest will be taking place with the full participation of Israel. This year several countries are boycotting Eurovision as a protest against this normalisation of genocide. We urge everyone to join the international campaign and join the cultural boycott of apartheid.
You do not have to boycott on your own. For the third year running, The Left Berlin is organising Palivision - an evening for anyone who wants to collectively boycott Israel. Musicians from the region will be joined by political speeches and stalls and photo exhibitions, including one from Active Stills.
Palivision is on Saturday night, starting at 7pm in New Yorck in Bethanien. Entrance to Palivision is donation-based, but all money raised will be sent to Anera, who have been helping refugees and families in Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan since 1968. Anera is our Campaign of the Week. There will also be a raffle with some great prizes so remember to bring some money along.
This week in Working Class History - 19 May 1895: Cuban revolutionary Jose Martí is killed in action
131 years ago this week, revolutionary leader Jose Martí was killed during the Cuban war of independence. In 1895, Martí organised an armed expedition from abroad. Although he was killed in part of that uprising at the Battle of Dos Rios, Cuba finally attained independence from Spain in 1898 (although this was followed by 4 years of US occupation). Read Martí’s story here.
Demonstrations in Berlin
Saturday at 2pm: Berlin Nakba Day Demo. Oranienplatz
Sunday at 4pm: IDAHOBITA* 2026, Wittenbergplatz
Wednesday at 2pm: Riders Day. Pariser Platz
This week’s Events
This evening from 6pm in the Kühlhaus. Birds Singing is another benefit concert for Gaza. The proceeds will go to @gazabirdssinging, and the concert will feature a diverse repertoire and a fantastic lineup of musicians & speakers who continue to shape and revitalize the spirit of Make Freedom Ring in Germany. Come together in solidarity and commemoration.
Peace Under Construction: 10 Years of the Peace Process and Elections in Colombia opens a space for the Colombian diaspora and allies to come together. This encounter invites you to look back at the long and complex struggle for peace in Colombia – with all its contradictions, hopes, and the voices that continue to fight for it. It starts tomorrow at 5.30pm in the Spore Initiative.
On Saturday, Palivision is a night of music for Palestine. Boycott the Eurovision Song Contest for letting Israel participate! If you oppose gpinkwashing as much as we do, join us for the Left Berlin’s 3rd edition of Palivision. We’re lucky to have a beautiful line up of talented artists, speakers, and photographers. Doors open at 7pm in New Yorck in Bethanien.
Does Art Matter? explores how art relates to human rights. Playwright and librettist Catherine Filloux is an award winning French Algerian American playwright & librettist who has been writing about human rights for decades. On Sunday, at 1pm, in the English Theatre Berlin Catherine will be discussing the power of art and why art matters. Entry is free, but please reserve your place.
Also on Sunday afternoon, from 4pm, The Left Berlin Editorial Team is holding its next quarterly face-to-face meeting. Among other things, our tech team will be introducing our new website which will be released soon. The meeting is open to anyone who is either working on our website or is interested in getting more involved. For more information, please contact us at team@theleftberlin.com.
On Wednesday, at 6pm the Gaza Committee film club presents Put your Soul on your Hand and Walk, a documentary by Iranian director Sepideh Farsi about Palestinian photo-journalist Fatma Hassouna. The film will be shown with English subtitles at the Regenbogenfabrik. The Left Berlin recently published an interview with Sepideh about the film.
There is much more going on in Berlin this week. To find out more about Events we organise, please look at our new-look Events page where you can choose between viewing All Events or just the ones organised by us. If you would like to recommend other Events, please contact us on team@theleftberlin.com.
News from Berlin and Germany
In News from Berlin, complaint against former IDF barista in Hackescher Markt.
In News from Germany, first directly elected AfD mayor in Brandenburg; Allianz AGM interrupted by protesters against its support for genocide; one-quarter of young men approached by the Bundeswehr have not answered; Palestine protesters win court appeal about venue of camp in Hamburg; Germany offers the USA more cruise missiles; and 11% of internet users in Germany victims of cybercrime.
Read all about it in this week’s News from Berlin and Germany.
The Left Berlin Radio Programme
2nd March saw the third Left Berlin radio programme, where we interviewed Jackie, one of the organisers of Palivision about why we are coming together to collectively boycott Eurovision. Phil Butland also talked about the Ulm 5, and how theleftberlin.com has been covering the case.
Our next radio programme will on Thursday 28th May at 3pm (Note: not the usual day or time) where we’ll be talking about Anatomy of a movement: legal repression, direct action, civil disobedience, and the Ulm5. As ever, we’ll be broadcasting on Refuge Worldwide radio. More information in future Newsletters.
New on theleftberlin.com
Dr. Fazila Bhimji shares her research on the impact of ICE raids on street trade in LA
MoMo looks at Palantir’s growing influence in Germany
The Ulm 5 trial continues this week. Roser Garí Pérez tells us what we can expect
Thom McGath asks what German politicians really mean when they talk about justice
As Romanian prime minister Ilie Bolojan is ousted by the social democrats and far right, Andrei Belibou is concerned
RC reports a new collaboration between the charite in Berlin an an Israeli hospital which works with the IDF
The organisers of the Internationalist Migrant Block on 1 May argue that Berlin police and politicians have increased repression
Video of the Week
Earlier this week, Allianz had their shareholders’ meeting. The meeting was disrupted by protestors demanding that Allianz stop investing in Israeli apartheid. The Video of the Week shows part of this disruption. We will be publishing an account by one of the demonstrators on theleftberlin.com soon.
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Keep on fighting,
The Left Berlin Editorial Board