The Left Berlin Newsletter, 23rd April 2026
Free the Ulm 5! Rally this evening at OPlatz! Come to the first court case in Stuttgart!
Welcome to this week’s Left Berlin Newsletter.
The Ulm 5 court case starts on Monday. Five young people entered an Elbit Systems factory in Ulm last September in a peaceful action causing property damage to weapons to be used in the genocide in Gaza. They have been charged with membership of a criminal organisation, and face prison sentences of up to five years if they are found guilty.
A rally has been called Free the Ulm 5! at Oranieanplatz at 6.30pm this evening (Thursday). The Ulm 5 have been in prison without trial for over eight months. Legal aid has been refused, medical attention delayed, and food denied. They have been kept for up to 23 hours per day in solitary confinement. Please come and show your support.
The first court date is on Monday at Stammheim prison in Stuttgart. Buses will be leaving Berlin Südkreuz at 10am on Sunday to take you to overnight accommodation in Karsruhe, and then to the trial. If you want to travel, send an e-mail to common_journey_court_watch@systemli.org, saying how many tickets you’d like to reserve. If possible use an anonymised e-mail.
theleftberlin.com will continue to cover the Ulm 5 case. This week we published some suggestions about what you can do concretely. Next week, we’ll be publishing an interview with Zo’s lawyer Nina Onèr, and the horrible history of Elbit Systems.
This week in Working Class History - 25 April 1974: Carnation Revolution
52 years ago this week, Portugal’s fascist regime was overthrown, following anti-war and anti-colonialism movements both in the metropolis and in the colonies themselves. People took to the streets siding with the military coup that put an end to Estado Novo, and carnations filled the barrels of the guns of soldiers, naming the Carnation Revolution. Read more about it here.
Repression in Berlin
In their latest coverage of repression of Palestine activism in German courts, Palestine at the Forefront look at A., who injured Zionist student Lahav Shapira. The original ruling found guilty of an antisemitic attack. Although an appeal has found that there was no antisemitic motive, A. has still been sent down for 2 1/2 years. Read more about the case here.
Demonstrations in Berlin
Today at 2pm: Hands off Iran, Brandenburger Tor
Today at 6.30pm: Free the Ulm 5, Oranienplatz
Today at 6pm: 81 years since the liberation of Köpenick, Platz des 23. April
Saturday at 6pm: Against surveillance and exclusion, Görlitzer Park Pamukkale
This week’s Events
ALFilm 2026, Berlin’s Arab Film Festival is the largest platform for the promotion of the diverse Arab cinematography in German. It will be showing films and discussions about film in a variety of venues all week. If you missed last night’s opener, Palestine 36 (which we reviewed this week), there’s another chance to see it this evening. You can see the full programme here. ALFilm 2026 is our Campaign of the Week.
This evening, in Jockel Biergarten, David Rovics and Liad Land play music against colonialism. At this concert you will experience a unique combination of two artists, united not by musical style, but by politically radical, uncompromising music, about the times we live in. Money raised will go to the Lemon Tree Collective and Medico, who are carrying out vital humanitarian work in Gaza and Lebanon.
Also this evening, Stories from the Countryside will help you learn from the Filipino Peasant Struggle. Join them for an evening of stories from our recent solidarity trip to the Philippines with a short film screening, bake sale, merch & memories. This event is also a fundraiser for the brave local activists and organisations who hosted them. It starts at 6.30pm in the Casino for Social Medicine.
All day Saturday, Africa Unite is a a pan-African conference and full-day networking event with panel discussions, stalls, food, and a concert and party with DJs in the evening. The aim of the event is to exchange information and build networks for the joint struggles of diaspora communities against European imperialism and neo-colonial structures. It starts at 11am in Zwille on the TU Campus.
Tomorrow sees the anniversary of the Armenian genocide. On Saturday, the event 111th Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day – Memories of Resistance provides an opportunity to come together to create a space for remembrance—a space shaped by the reading of poetry, the listening to music, and by getting creative together. The event starts at midday at the Spore Initiative.
Are you interested in The Left Berlin and want to know more? Or do you want to get more involved in international politics in Berlin? If so, you may be interested in The Left Berlin On-boarding. Like recent on-boardings, this will introduce you both to how we write and publish articles, and how you can help organise our various activities. It takes place on Saturday at 2pm at Agit, Nansenstraße 2.
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, thousands demonstrate for a faster energy transition.
In News from Germany, Red Army Fraction court house used to try the Ulm 5; electricity prices in Germany fall; hundreds commemorate Lorenz - killed by police one year ago; AfD fail to win district administrator post in Uckermark; crime statistics which blame migrants are the result of bias; and Council of Europe finds that the German police use force excessively.
Read all about it in this week’s News from Berlin and Germany.
New on theleftberlin.com
As Sudan enters its fourth year of war Emile Anomolie reports from the Third International Sudan Conference in Berlin
Yunus Erdoğan asks whataver happened to radical film festivals?
Phil Butland reviews Palestine 36, a significant new film about Palestinian history
Rezgar Akrawi looks at the significance of Israel’s new law imposing a death penalty, but only for Palestinians
Hospital workers in Berlin went on indefinite strike last week. Robert Dale reports
Andrei Belibou talks to Ruthie and Peter. founding editors of HEIST magazine
Yasemin Özdemir and Phil Butland give some tips about how you can help the Ulm 5
Video of the Week
As the Ulm 5 go on trial, the Video of the Week is the film they took of their peaceful action against genocide.
Request for Help
Hello dear readers 🍉
My name is Dima and I’m studying social work at the University of Almería (Spain). Right now, however, I’m living in Berlin and writing my bachelor’s thesis on the topic of ‘Reports of discrimination and acts of violence against pro-Palestinian activists in Berlin’.
The thesis is based on interviews, which is why I am currently looking for people in Berlin who are involved in activism and/or solidarity work relating to Palestine and would be willing to share their experiences with me.
Of course, all participants will remain anonymous; the recordings of the conversations will be used solely for transcription and analysis.
I would be delighted to hear from you, as this project is very close to my heart, both because of my Palestinian origins and due to the lack of research on this topic.
I am, of course, available to answer any questions at any time! Please feel free to email me at dj873@inlumine.ual.es.
Thank you very much for reading & sending my solidarity,
Dima ✊
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Keep on fighting,
The Left Berlin Editorial Board