Berlin Stories | 28 March-3 April

Protests, parties, panels and more.

Oona: We're open all Easter weekend at Oona, Weserstr. 166. Come down on Friday for our annual B2B Day or tune in to our 14-hour long B2B2B2B2B....! Full lineup here.

News: On 26 March the cultural centre Oyoun won the court case against the German newspaper Tagesspiegel. Accusations of anti-semitism, which led to the important arts and culture space losing its state funding in the Autumn of last year, were ruled out as unfounded. Oyoun has been subjected to defamation by the German newspaper, and the court also ruled on the reports as untrue and damaging. Read Oyoun's statement here.

News: Berliner Sparkasse, a local bank, has frozen the account of Jüdische Stimme, a Jewish activist organisation working in solidarity with Palestinian organisations in Berlin. The bank demanded data including a full list of members and their addresses – a highly unusual demand, which leaves members worried about persecution. Blocking accounts without sufficient reason is illegal and can be seen as the latest development in a broad crackdown on critical Jewish voices in Germany speaking out against the genocide in Gaza.

Sit-in: on 29 March Global South United is holding a mass sit-in from 16:00 at Hauptbahnhof to mark Land Day and to call for an end to occupation and colonisation in Palestine, Congo, Sudan, Haiti, Western Sahara, Wallmapu and beyond. 

Demo: 30 March is the Land Day. On this day in 1976 Palestinians protested the illegal expropriation and settlement of their land. Every year, protests take place in Palestine on the anniversary of that day. Join the Pa Allies organised protest starting at 14:00 from S-Bahn Gesundbrunnen.

Short films, talk and live music: On 30 March Archive of Belonging presents and evening of short films, live music and a panel talk exploring sound as an access point to agency. The Sonic Agency event takes place at Sinema Transtopia and features three short films starting at 19:00. This is followed by a talk with the director Sarnt Utamachote and a live music session by Oyèmi Noize.  

Demo: On 30 March there is a demo in solidarity with Kurdish people around the world, following the news of the attacks by Turkish nationalists on a Syrian-Kurdish family in Belgium last week. The march starts at 19:30 from Zickenplatz.

Music workshop and Iftar: On 30 March Out of Time Embassy is inviting for an evening of music and food. The Iftar and Gnawa Circle starts at 18:00 with a shared meal and continues with an introduction into Gnawa culture and playing techniques. The event is inspired by the traditional Lila sessions and is open to up to 20 participants. Register ahead of time via ootembassy@gmail.com  

Live music: On Sunday 31 March catch Refuge Worldwide resident Kissen live at Neukölln’s Tennis Bar. You can listen to Kissen's latest EP released on Mansions and Millions last month here.

Micro Festival: 31 March is Trans* Day of Visibility. Backhouse Projects is hosting Maladjusted Misfits a micro festival that will showcase the work of TIN* artists, activists, and educators. There will be an exhibition, performance, workshops, and a communal dinner. Join on the opening on 29 Marcg at 18:00. Events take place over the weekend from 29 March to 1 April at Backhaus Projects, Weserstrasse 168.

Open Call: In May 2024 Oyoun is hosting the poetry project Who Am I, Who I Am. The organisers have issued an open call for LGBTQ+ Palestinian writers to film themselves performing a piece of their own writing that will be featured in short poetry film. Find out more here and send your submissions by 15 April.

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Header image: Oyoun.