Berlin Closes Two Welfare Centers for Advocating Pro-Palestine Stances

Berlin Welfare Centers Closure Sparks Controversy

Two welfare centers in Berlin, run by the queer-feminist project FRIEDA-Frauen*Zentrum e.V, have been closed down with immediate effect. The centers, located in Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg, are the only ones in their respective districts offering intersectional services, support, and protection for migrant girls and young women.

The state's decision to terminate the contracts has been met with controversy, with many questioning the reasons behind it. According to an article in the Tagesspiegel, the reason given was due to "hatred of Israel and antisemitism." However, there is no explicit evidence provided in the article regarding the organizations' alleged hatred of Israel or antisemitism.

Sebastian Lenz, board member and scientific director of FRIEDA-Frauen*Zentrum e.V, is confronting the closure of the centers. In a statement, Lenz expressed shock about the spying on employees' private Instagram accounts and believes they have fallen victim to a pattern of repression and intimidation due to their solidarity with the Palestinian people.

The termination of the contracts is part of a larger political crackdown on funding for organizations that disagree with the state position on Israel's war on Gaza. The Palestine Congress, an event attended by FRIEDA-Frauen*Zentrum e.V staff, was controversially shut down by German authorities. The banned slogan "From the River to the Sea" is associated with the staff of the centers.

Organizers at FRIEDA-Frauen*Zentrum e.V have announced they will take legal action against the closure of their centers. The centers, which are leftist organizations, are being censored for supporting Palestine. It remains to be seen how this legal battle will unfold and whether the centers will be able to continue their vital work in the future.

On Wednesday, April 24, the termination of the contracts was made official, leaving many in the community feeling disheartened and concerned about the future of queer-feminist projects in Berlin. The closure of FRIEDA-Frauen*Zentrum e.V centers is a significant loss for the migrant girls and young women they serve, and for the queer-feminist movement in Berlin as a whole.