Germany: Police evicts anarcha queer feminist squat and impedes journalists at work
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Germany: Police evicts anarcha-queer-feminist house project Liebig34 and impedes journalists at work
October 9, 2020, Berlin, Germany -- Liebig34, an “anarcha-queer-feminist” housing project in Berlin, has been cleared of residents following a contentious eviction involving at least 3,000 police officers (with some news channels mentioning 5,000). ‘You can’t evict a movement, you can’t evict a heart!’ was one of the slogans of the protests following the ‘eviction’.
Liebig34 is described by its occupants as an “anarcha-queer-feminist housing project” and has stood for 30 years as a safe space for queer people and feminists. Anarcha-feminism posits patriarchy and traditional gender roles as manifestations of involuntary coercive hierarchy that should be replaced by decentralized free association.
Liebig34’s house was originally squatted after the Berlin wall fell. It is one of the last squats in Berlin, being an icon against capitalist change. Furthermore, it has been seen as a historical and symbolic landmark for the city. Although there are a lot of other house projects with partly queer only/no cis-men allowed in Berlin, Liebig34 has been famous for going head to head with the city municipality. The city originally sold the Liebig34’s squatted house for profit to a real estate maker who owns at least 200 houses in Friedrichshain (the neighbourhood of Liebig34) alone. The authorities forced the residents to get a contract with the owner in order to continue staying. Although the contract ended, people kept occupying. According to the law, the people who occupied were disobedient renters and they had different rights. This means that the house was not a squat any longer (from the moment it has a contract), but a house/living project since it was legalized. However, this did not help stop the tug-of-war as the police officers have systematically targeted and harassed the collective members.
During the eviction of the residents, many protestors stood in solidarity both in Berlin and other cities while journalists were on the ground trying to report the incident. The police however constantly bullied and harassed people on the ground, and journalists were no exception. They have impeded the journalists’ work several times by hitting them and not letting them close to the scene. A German article was published regarding police violence and silencing against journalists on the ground. Several journalists reported on Twitter that police officers threatened them and attacked them by hitting and pushing.
Among those impeded at work was Christina Gutsmiedl, reporter of Taz Gazette. She said that she was pushed around by policemen to keep her away from the scene and even though she showed her press card, she was met with violence and impediment at work.
It is the initiative’s decision not to talk to the press directly but spread its own material for the press to use. While the collective mainly releases statements on its blog, it also shares posts on a Twitter account.Liebig34 said in a statementon the eviction “For 30 years, Liebig 34 has been a place for people who are affected by various forms of patriarchal violence, who are affected by hostility to trans people and who are marginalised in other ways. During all this time, Liebig34 gave people who experience stalking a place of refuge, made rooms available to refugees, homeless women were able to knock on the door and breathe in our guest room for a while from the cold and violence. Those affected by sexual violence experience solidarity and protection at this place. People who do not conform to binary gender norms, or want to transition find a space for development here that is usually not available in a heteronormatively structured society.”
In a statement following the contentious eviction, the house residents stated: ‘‘We are sad. We are crying. We are exhausted. WE ARE ANGRY. They can‘t imagine the determination they have awakened in us. This eviction is a moment of radicalization. So many borders have been crossed... You can have our house, you will never get our passion. We are so much more than this house – we are anarchists, feminists, queers and antifascists who will now channel their anger and attack capitalist patriarchy to the last.’’ The collective then called people for immediate, decentralized actions starting from day one, ending the post with ‘‘Let us experience a wild and chaotic October together!’’. What is yet to come is for everyone to see and experience.
The area at which the house is in, was majorly squatted in the 90's. The whole squatting/anarchist scene gave Berlin the look it has today. Exactly, because of this, the squats gave rise to the subcultures and cultural development of the city. Squatting has been illegal in Berlin for many years, with charges as heavy as a prison penalty. Although silent squats do exist, they cannot be open or public due to state oppression.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is alarmed by the way the police acted towards press members, in a country such as Germany which is seemingly exemplary in terms of respect to press freedom. We urge the authorities to swiftly take action against those police officers who impeded the work of journalists and physically attacked both journalists, collective members and protestors.
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The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world, and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
Follow us on Instagram @womeninjournalism and Twitter @CFWIJ. Our website is WomenInJournalism.org and we can be reached at press@womeninjournalism.org
Lesen Sie unsere Erklärung auf Deutsch
Die Polizei räumt anarcha-queer-feministisches Hausprojekt und behindert Journalisten bei der Arbeit
13. Oktober 2020, Berlin, Deutschland - Am 9. Oktober wurden die Bewohner von „Liebig34“, ein „anarcho-queer-feministisches“ Wohnprojekt in Berlin, nach einer umstrittenen Räumung mit rund 1.500 Polizisten vertrieben. „Liebig34“ ist eine der letzten verbliebenen linken Hausbesetzungen Berlins. Es wurde als „anarcho-queer-feministisches Wohnprojekt“ beschrieben und steht seit 30 Jahren als sicherer Ort für queere Menschen und Feministinnen.
Während der Vertreibung der Bewohner standen viele Demonstranten solidarisch mit den Bewohnern des besetzten Hauses, auch Journalisten waren dort. Die Polizei reagierte mit Gewalt und behinderte mehrmals die Arbeit der Journalisten. Die Polizei schlug Journalisten und ließ sie nicht in die Nähe des Schauplatzes. Mehrere Journalisten berichteten auf Twitter, dass Polizisten sie bedrohten und sie mit Schlägen und stoßen angriffen.
Auch Christina Gutsmiedl, Reporterin der „Taz Gazette“, war dabei. Sie sagte, sie sei von Polizisten herumgeschubst worden, um sie vom Ort des Geschehens fernzuhalten. Obwohl sie ihren Presseausweis zeigte, stieß sie bei der Arbeit auf Hindernisse und Gewalt.
„Liebig34“ sagte in einer Erklärung über die Räumung: „Die „Liebig34“ ist seit 30 Jahren ein Ort für Menschen, die von patriarchaler Gewalt verschiedenster Ausprägungen betroffen sind, die von Transphobie betroffen sind und auf andere Weisen marginalisiert werden. In dieser ganzen Zeit hat die „Liebig34“ Menschen die Stalking erleben einen Zufluchtsort gegeben, hat geflüchteten Menschen Zimmer zur Verfügung gestellt und wohnungslose Frauen konnten dort an die Tür klopfen und in unserem Gästezimmer eine Weile von Kälte und Gewalt geschützt leben. Betroffene von sexueller Gewalt erfahren an diesem Ort Solidarität und Schutz. Menschen, die nicht der binären Geschlechterordnung entsprechen oder entsprechen wollen, finden hier einen Raum zur Entfaltung, der in der Regel in einer heteronormativ strukturierten Gesellschaft nicht vorhanden ist”.
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“The Coalition For Women In Journalism” ist alarmiert über das Verhalten der Polizei gegenüber der Presse in einem Land wie Deutschland, das in Bezug auf Pressefreiheit sonst vorbildlich ist. Wir fordern die Behörden nachdrücklich auf, gegen die Polizisten vorzugehen, die die Arbeit von Journalisten behindert und sie körperlich angegriffen haben.