The Left Berlin Newsletter, 2nd April 2026
Researching increased surveillance in Berlin
Welcome to this week’s Left Berlin Newsletter.
This Monday sees the next monthly Left Berlin Coordinating meeting. As ever, we’ll be looking back at what we’ve done recently and planning future activities, but at this month’s meeting, we’ll be paying special attention to two of our biggest events of the year. Please come along to join the preparations.
On Saturday, 16th May, the same week-end as the anniversary of the Nakba, the Eurovision song contest will be taking place with the full participation of Israel. For the third year running, The Left Berlin will be organising Palivision - an evening of live music and politics for people who want to boycott Eurovision collectively.
And in September, we’ll be organising our annual Summer Camp. This year, we’re back in the old Summer Camp venue - the Naturfreundehaus Hermsdorf at the edge of Berlin. We’re starting to get together a list of the format of the camp which speakers we’d like to invite. Come along on Monday and make your suggestions.
We are still restructuring our work to make it easier for new people to get involved. Our latest initiative is this Telegram group for new people, where you can get information about the next meetings and monthly onboarding, as well as ask questions. The next on boarding session is on 25th April at 2pm in Agit.
This week in Working Class History: 6 April 2008 - Textile workers strike in Mahalla, Egypt
18 years ago this week, textile workers went on strike in the textile town of Mahalla in Egypt’s Nile Delta. The strike was crushed, but it inspired a mass uprising (the “Mahalla Intifada”) which would lead to the overthrow of dictator Hosni Mubarak less than 3 years later. You can read what happened here.
Repression in Berlin
This weeks story of repression of Palestine activity is a victory story. A defendant who was previously fined €600 for shouting “From the River to the Sea” has been acquitted. Read the full story here.
Demonstrations in Berlin
Saturday at 1pm: Ostermarsch - annual anti-war demonstration, Mauerpark / Oderbergerstraße
This week’s Events
The exhibition Queer Art in the DDR? is running until the end of June. The exhibition contains paintings, sculptures, ceramics, photos, and videos from 9 artists showing the reality of queer life in the former East Germany. Participating galleries are KVOST, nGbK, Mitte museum, and Werkbundarchiv - Museum der Dinge. Check each gallery's link for opening times.
While Israel bombed Lebanon in 2006, two Lebanese women protested with art. They take us to a land that tries to keep hope alive amidst the rubble. Their story is told in the film Lebanon resisting lunacy, which Peacefully against Genocide will be showing tonight (Thursday) at 7pm in the Kiezraum Dragonerareal. The film will be showed with English subtitles.
On Friday night, Solibanon is another solidarity night for Lebanon, curated by Bulaban Berlin. It is an evening of performances and DJs, coming together to raise funds for people in Lebanon enduring ongoing attacks. In times like these, community, care, and solidarity matter more than ever. The location will be announced in this Telegram channel on the day of the event.
Two comrades from the Bloque Latinoamericano Berlin recently joined the Convoy to Cuba. On Saturday, they will share their reflections and lessons from the experience, to deepen our understanding of internationalist practise and to build a solidarity movement with the Cuban people. The meeting starts at 2.30pm in Theater X,. and will be held in Spanish.
On Saturday evening, Speed Sisters is a vibrant documentary about the first all-women race car team in Palestine, navigating speed, visibility, and social pressure. After the screening, there will be a live experimental music performance with Izquierdo Benedito. It is all part of the Arab Women, Cinema and Sport season, and starts at 8pm in the ES Kollektivbar.
On Monday at 7pm, it's the next Left Berlin Coordinating meeting in Schierker Strasse 26. This is the best place to go if you are interested in getting involved or just want to know what it is we do. Follow the link for a proposed agenda. If there's anything else that you'd like to talk about, please contact us at team@theleftberlin.com or come and bring it up on the night.
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.
The Left Berlin in April
As usual, The Left Berlin is organising a number of Events in April. Here’s where you can find us. It is possible that we will be organising extra events short-notice. To stay up-to-date, keep checking our page of Left Berlin Events.
Monday 6th April, 7pm - Coordinating Meeting in Linx*44 Schierker Straße 26
Sunday, 19th April, 2pm - Political Walking Tour: Marzahn, the Wild Wild East. Meeting point: S-Bahn Springfuhl
Saturday, 24th April, 2pm – On-Boarding Event in Agit, Nansenstraße 2
Thursday, 30th April 7pm - Reading Group - Feminist Survival Kit 101 in Agit, Nansenstraße 2
We’ll also be hitting the ground running at the beginning of May with a stall at the festival in Mariannenplatz on 1st May and our next radio programme on 2nd May. Watch this space for a possible surprise film showing.
News from Berlin and Germany
In News from Berlin, activists protest weapons production by Rheinmetall with a rooftop protest; and machete attack preceded by Nazi slogans.
In News from Germany, Germany says no to Iran war but allows the use of Ramstein air base; another attack by Chancellor Merz on male migrants; left journalist Hüseyin Doğru is penniless as his wife’s bank account is also stopped; big rise in inflation in Germany; Hessen AfD youth group attracts the extreme right; and headscarf ban in Brandenburg courts.
Read all about it in this week’s News from Berlin and Germany.
The Left Berlin Radio Programme
Last Saturday saw the second Left Berlin radio programme, where we interviewed Jasmine Erkan, author of Berlin enters new surveillance era, and Peter Polack. Jasmine and Peter are both active with the Berlin Surveillance and Predictive Policing Research Unit. which is our Campaign of the Week.
Our next radio programme will on on Saturday, 2nd May, once more on Refuge Worldwide radio, where we’ll be talking all things Palivision. Next time we will be starting at the later time of 3pm. More information in future Newsletters.
New on theleftberlin.com
Charlie Ebert and Rowan Gaudet interview Migrantifa about migrant anti-fascism
Liliana Cofalka asks what should socialists make of the partial release of the Epstein files?
Reports and photos from last week’s half million strong demonstration in London against racism
Damineh Vaezpous-Semnani asks how we can liberate love
Akram al-Deek tries to come to terms with the German language
The Academic Boycott Campaign Deutschland introduces itself
Video of the Week
In the Video of the Week, Al Jazeera reports from one of the protests around the world condemning Israel’s passing of a bill that makes the death penalty the default punishment for Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks. The UN has called the decision “deeply discriminatory” legislation.
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Keep on fighting,
The Left Berlin Editorial Board