Berlin Stories

Fight Back Against Political Deportations

On 21 April, the German State will forcibly deport four pro-Palestinian activists without any criminal charges against them. Lawyers call this a case of politically motivated deportation, a sign of greater repression against activism around Palestine and anti-immigration sentiment, and an attack on fundamental democratic rights. You can support Kasia Wlaszczyk, Cooper Longbottom, Shane O'Brien, and Roberta Murray by signing the petition in protest of their deportation. At least 30,000 signatures are required to put pressure on the German state. On 18 April at 16:00, a demonstration will take place at Alexanderplatz in solidarity with the activists. Afterwards, you can drop by bUM to join the 3ezwa panel talk and bingo fundraiser centering around impending deportations to Greece. On 20 April, Tennis Bar is hosting another fundraiser to help the activists with their legal fees. From 21:00 to 04:00, DJs will take turns inviting you to dance and hang out. You can also support the fundraiser for #Berlin4 online by contributing here. 

Berlin University Occupied 

On Wednesday, 16 April, pro-Palestinian student activists occupied the Emil-Fischer-Campus of Humboldt Universität in Berlin in response to the German state’s persecution of student activists and Germany’s role in the war in Gaza. The group of protestors issued a list of demands, including an end to deportations and German weapon deliveries to Israel and a call for the cultural and academic boycott of Israel. The heads of the university refused to negotiate with the students and instead called the police, who started to forcefully remove the protestors from the campus and made several violent arrests. 

Arabic Film Festival 

From 23 to 30 April, the 16th edition of the Arabic Film Festival will take place. The week-long programme was curated to provide diverse perspectives through intimate narratives from the Arab world, including alternative history documentaries like “Movedove” (dir. Karim Kassem) and ethereal dramas like “The Village Next to Paradise” (dir. Mo Harawe). Together with Sinema Transtopia, AL Film is presenting the short film program “On Militarization” (screening 25 and 26 April). The selection of five films explores how militarisation and colonial influence - from Bonaparte’s expedition to Egypt, to U.S. oil interests in Syria - alter landscapes and shape consciousness. In addition to the screenings, the Arabic Film Festival will also feature masterclasses, panel discussions, and music events, with many films followed by talks with the director. Screenings and events will be held at 8 locations across Berlin. View the programme here. 

BIWoC* Rising Feminist Networking Event

BIWoC* Rising invites feminist individuals, collectives, activists, etc., to their space in Kreuzberg on 23 April to network with like-minded people in a safer space – connecting to discuss alternative ways of funding, potential collaborations, and brainstorm ideas. BIWoC* Rising is an intersectional feminist community and Berlin’s first co-working space designated for trans, inter, and non-binary Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour identifying individuals. More info here. 

Oona hangout with SoFa Collective

Come by Oona this weekend for the very first session of SoFa Collective. From 20:00 on Saturday, 19 April until midnight, Mademoisel, DJ Warble, and Hotaru B2B Koscha will play music. The session also introduces the work of the Afghan Activist Collective, SudanUprising, and ROSA rolling safe space. All funds raised at the solidarity event will go toward supporting families on the move in Greece and initiatives resisting the systemic racism, fascism, and violence of Fortress Europe. 

At Refuge's Niemetzstraße space on 17 April, join Unpublished, a media platform fighting against restrictions in the current day mainstream German media, for an evening of collective reflections on how we might envision alternative futures. More info here. 

Stories from the Beauty Parlor Podcast

Annamaria Olsson from Give Something Back to Berlin has launched “Stories from the Beauty Parlor”, a multi-disciplinary project and fundraising platform amplifying stories of women and LGBTQIA+ individuals worldwide. Motivated by the fact that only 2% of global funding goes towards women’s and LGBTQIA+ causes, “Stories from the Beauty Parlor” raises funds for initiatives by underserved communities. The project aims to transform socially dictated narratives of the beauty industry from individualist self-care to transformative community practice and create a global network of solidarity. Their mission is to leverage the $690 billion beauty industry to support feminist initiatives. You can find out more about it by listening to their new podcast here. 

Xposed Queer Short Film Fund

Xposed Queer Film Fest Berlin has just shared the call for submissions to their queer short film fund, supported by the cinema tech rental company 25p. If you are based in Berlin and working on a queer short film, you can apply for the prize worth 3,500€ and a mentoring program to realise your project. To be eligible for the fund, you must have directed at least one short film and live in Germany. The proposed projects cannot exceed 10 minutes in length. You can find more information about the call on the Xposed Queer Film Fest webpage. The deadline for submissions is 9 May.

Cleo Hilton Gennison

On Wednesday, 16 April, Cleo Hilton Gennison, a Black trans woman from South Africa, was sentenced to 12 years in prison after being held in pre-trial custody since May 2024. She is being charged with a homicide offence that happened at an asylum accommodation where she previously lived. The charges and her arrest were made without any reliable evidence incriminating her. Later in 2024, she was transferred to a men’s prison. The Justice for Cleo Initiative has been documenting her trial, which was steeped in racism and transmisogyny. You can read up on it on their Instagram page, support Cleo by donating to the fundraiser, sign the petition, and keep an eye out for upcoming demonstrations. 

İÇ İÇE Festival 2025 is happening

Good news for music lovers in Berlin: the festival for new Anatolian music, İÇ İÇE, will take place this year after all. Due to funding cuts, the organisers had to launch a crowdfunding campaign to secure the festival’s future. So far, they have raised 16,000€ and announced that the festival will take place on 14 June at Festsaal Kreuzberg. While that’s a reason for celebration, the festival team still needs to raise at least another 4.000€ to make it happen truly. You can donate to their fundraiser here and get your Early Bird tickets here – but be quick, as last year they sold out within hours.

Unmarried Records Takeover

Following the successful turnout at their record sale at Marmor in March, which fundraised for displaced people in Gaza, Sudan, and Congo, Unmarried Records is back with their first edition takeover at Marmor Bar. Unmarried Records was started by DJ and radio host Unmarried Woman, known for colourful curations from disco house to techno soul. The takeover will happen on Friday, 18 April, featuring DJ sets by Femdelic and Unmarried Woman, and a secret guest! Come early because entry is free before midnight.

Fundraiser for M. and Her 2-Month-Old Baby

Schlafplatz Orga is raising funds for M., a single mother, and her 2-month-old baby. M. came to Poland a few years ago, where she worked and got pregnant. After being fired by her employer because of her pregnancy and left without resources by her abusive husband, she recently arrived in Berlin, where she has been moving between temporary sleeping places with her newborn. Now, M. and her baby have found secure housing for the next few months at a monthly rent of 390€. Schlafplatz Orga has launched a fundraiser to help cover rent and essential bills until M. is able to return to work. Donate here.

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Cover Photo by Jaime Musso

Photos by Red Bath (2024) and TUKIE VANIDA