Jews and gays must once again beware in German capital city, police chief says



Berlin is once again a dangerous place for Jews and homosexuals, according to the city's chief of police.

The German newspaper Berliner Zeitung recently asked chief Barbara Slowik whether Berlin was safe. Slowik initially tried to avoid characterizing her city as a haven for imported extremism, suggesting, "Berlin is as safe as many other cities in Germany and safer than many other European capitals."

When pressed on whether there were "no-go areas," Slowik, who was instrumental in setting up the Joint Extremism and Counter-Terrorism Center, admitted that "there are areas — and we have to be honest here — where I would advise people who wear a kippah or are openly gay or lesbian to be more alert."

Slowik said she wouldn't "defame any groups of people here" but acknowledged that "there are certain neighborhoods where the majority of people liv[ing there] are of Arab descent, who also have sympathies for terrorist groups."

The German ministry of the interior and community acknowledged in September that the country's worsening crime problem was the result, in part, of "more foreigner crime." Many of the non-Germans hail from Middle Eastern hotbeds for Islamic radicalism.

'It is not the job of Jews and homosexuals to be "more attentive" in certain areas of Berlin.'

According to the publication Junge Freiheit, the number of all registered crimes — not including violations of immigration law — skyrocketed by 4.4% last year to 5.6 million incidents. Rainer Wendt, the head of the German Police Union, highlighted police statistics in April indicating that foreigners now account for at least 41% of all suspects in Germany and are massively over-represented among violent and sexual offenders.

The problem of imported crime bled into 2024 with some high-profile examples, starting right away in the early hours of New Year's Day, when scores of Syrians and Afghan males rioted in several German cities, attacking first responders with incendiary devices and robbing others. Months later, an Afghan immigrant went on a stabbing spree and butchered a police officer at an anti-jihad rally in the southwestern German town of Mannheim.

Anti-Semitic attacks have apparently skyrocketed since Oct. 7, 2023.

"Open anti-Semitism is expressed there against people of Jewish faith and origin," continued the police chief, adding that the force has opened over 6,200 investigations into anti-Semitic incidents, including 1,300 violent crimes, since the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel last year.

'The safety of Jews and homosexuals can only be guaranteed by ending mass migration.'

According to Slowik, the city was able to prevent 24 mass gatherings that were explicitly aimed at celebrating the murder of Israeli civilians.

Other rallies featuring anti-Semitic messaging and glorifying Islamic terrorism have apparently gone unchecked in part due to the fact that bans would not ultimately rid Berlin of the extremists responsible as well as a desire on the part of officials to selectively respect residents' rights to expression and assembly.

Although keen not to encroach on the rights of foreign-born anti-Semites, German authorities have sought to ban, vilify, disarm, de-bank, and criminalize the popular Alternative for Germany party and its members, largely over their criticism of mass immigration, open borders, and Islamization.

Marie-Thérèse Kaiser, a member of the AFD, was convicted of a "hate crime" in May for sharing statistics about the disproportionate number of gang rapes committed by immigrants, specifically Afghan nationals, and for asking whether multiculturalism means accommodating rape culture.

Just last week, 113 German lawmakers from various leftist and establishment factions reportedly signed an application to begin proceedings to ban the AFD. They appear especially concerned by recent polls showing that the AFD ranks second going into the 2025 federal election.

While kneecapping the AFD is a key priority for the German political establishment, the AFD alternatively appears keen on tackling the fallout of Germany's failed multicultural project — having learned independently what former British Home Secretary Suella Braverman concluded in 2023: that "uncontrolled immigration, inadequate integration, and a misguided dogma of multiculturalism have proven a toxic combination" for the West.

The AFD said in a statement Tuesday that Slowik's admission about no-go zones was "an absolute declaration of bankruptcy for [Christian Democratic Union]-governed Berlin," adding that this "is what 'cosmopolitan' Berlin looks like under a CDU mayor."

"The police chief is turning the responsibilities on their head. It is not the job of Jews and homosexuals to be 'more attentive' in certain areas of Berlin, but rather it is the job of the CDU-led Senate to be 'more attentive' to consistent deportations, protected borders and an assertive constitutional state," said the AFD.

"The safety of Jews and homosexuals can only be guaranteed by ending mass migration," added the AFD statement.

Berlin is far from the only Western city where Jewish citizens have been told to keep their heads down to avoid the fallout of liberal elites' promised cultural enrichment.

Blaze News reported earlier this year that London's Metropolitan Police threatened to arrest Gideon Falter, the head of the Campaign Against Antisemitism, in April for daring to be "quite openly Jewish" in the English capital's Aldwych area while pro-Hamas protesters were demonstrating nearby.

A police sergeant took notice of Falter and his kippah cap and confronted him, saying, "I'm sure there are an awful lot of people of all sorts of faiths and creeds who want to go where they want. But unfortunately, today is different."

"So basically, because I'm Jewish, I can't cross the road today?" asked Falter.

"Because of the march," said the sergeant.

Falter pressed the issue, saying, "Yes, because I am Jewish?"

"That is part of — unfortunately part of the fact," said the sergeant.

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German courts ban members of popular right-wing party from owning guns



A German court has effectively banned all members of the Alternative for Germany (AFD) party from owning firearms.

The AFD is a right-leaning populist party that — like Marine Le Pen's National Rally party in France — has grown increasingly popular despite a concerted suppression campaign by the leftist German establishment, which has sought to ban, vilify, and criminalize the AFD outright.

The party was founded in 2013 by free market economists keen to strengthen German sovereignty and enraged by the European Union's bailout of Greece and other debtor nations. Over time, the AFD attracted the ire of leftists over its members' criticism of mass migration, open borders, gender ideology, climate alarmism, Islamization, and the European slide toward continental post-nationalism.

The AFD emphasized in its 2017 manifesto, "We believe in direct democracy, the separation of powers, the rule of law, social market economics, subsidarity, federalism, family values, and Germany cultural heritage."

Clearly, something about the party has begun to resonate with Germans in recent years. After all, the AFD gained six seats and placed second with 15.9% of the national vote in the European parliamentary elections last month, handily beating German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's establishment Social Democratic Party. According to Reuters, the party's membership has also grown by 60% since January 2023.

The German powers that be have worked to neutralize the AFD's gains at the polls.

In the wake of the AFD's strong electoral showing last month, a Bavarian court ruled that the country's domestic intelligence agency could surveil a regional association of the party as a suspected extremist group. In certain German states, such as Saxony and Thuringia, the party had already been classified as a "right-wing extremist" group.

Last week, leftist activists successfully petitioned to de-bank the AFD. Deutsche Welle reported that the AFD's donation account had been deactivated and that the Berliner Volksbank confirmed its receipt of the leftists' petition.

The AFD will not only find it difficult to raise money but find it impossible to raise firearms in self-defense against the kinds of savage attacks an AFD politician suffered in early June.

'Membership in a party suspected of anti-constitutional activities regularly leads to the presumption of unreliability.'

The 22nd Chamber of the Düsseldorf Administrative Court revealed on July 1 that membership in the AFD precludes German citizens from owning firearms. This ruling is at odds with another regional court's determination last year that suspicion of a party's elements does not alone justify the revocation of members' firearm licenses.

According to an English translation of a court release, the chamber determined that "membership in a party suspected of anti-constitutional activities regularly leads to the presumption of unreliability under gun law under the applicable strict standards of gun law, even if the party has not been banned by the Federal Constitutional Court on the grounds of unconstitutionality."

The case centered on a married couple associated with the AFD whose permits to keep their combined 224 firearms were revoked. They have since been ordered to hand over or destroy their firearms as well as any related parts or ammunition.

The administrative court claimed that its ruling did not violate Article 21 of Germany's Basic Law, which permits for the free establishment of political parties but apparently does not protect against any disadvantages for parties deemed undesirable.

The administrative court has reportedly enabled the couple to appeal the decision to the Higher Administrative Court in Münster.

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Germany preparing for yet another New Year's Eve spoiled by rioting migrants



Germany is preparing for another New Year's Eve spoiled by rioting migrants largely from the Middle East. This time around, officials are taking extra precautions as they anticipate even worse violence on account of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

These preparations — which come just one week after German police flushed out Hamas terrorists believed to have been plotting an attack on European soil — bookend a year that began with a debate over immigration policy and the failure of cultural integration. Judging from government officials' sustained concerns, it appears that debate did not prove fruitful.

What's the background?

Last New Year's Eve, riots broke out in several German cities, including Berlin, Hamburg, and Frankfurt. Rioters targeted first responders and passersby with firecrackers, rockets, and starting pistols, according to Warsaw's Centre for Eastern Studies.

Some rescue workers were lured into ambushes and attacked nearby vehicles that had been set aflame. Others were robbed.

The German paper Bild reported that the police and fire brigade responded over 3,900 times on that fateful night, facing especially bad attacks in the "hotspot districts of Kreuzberg and Neukölln with a high proportion of migrants."

Reuters reported that two-thirds of the rioters detained by police were non-citizens, including 27 Afghans and 21 Syrians. The others were largely residents from migrant communities. The majority were under the age of 21.

"It's more about unregulated migration, failed integration and a lack of respect for the state rather than fireworks," Jens Spahn, a German politician who served as federal minister of health until 2021, told the Berliner Zeitung. "The attacks on emergency services are unspeakable."

The right-wing Alternative for Germany party issued a statement on Jan. 2, noting, "Anarchy reigned in Berlin on New Year’s Eve. It was a first foretaste of future everyday life in German cities because although the authorities and the press are adamantly silent when it comes to the specific naming of the perpetrators, the countless videos of that night speak volumes."

The AfD added, "There is only one effective remedy against such scenes: finally protect the borders and deport criminal migrants immediately."

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser stated, "Good politics must clearly state what is happening: In major German cities we have a problem with certain young men with a migrant background who despise our state, commit acts of violence and are hardly reached by education and integration programs."

Kai Wegner, a German politician with the Christian Democratic Union and governing mayor of Berlin, told Bild, "This must finally come to an end. The state can no longer stand by and watch as chaotic people repeatedly attack police officers and firefighters. These are not trivial offenses, they are crimes. These incidents must be consistently pursued and punished."

Rather than address the underlying problems, authorities instead mulled over addressing one of the bombastic symptoms. German police and firefighters' unions reportedly called for a ban on personal fireworks as well as increased surveillance.

Conservatives countered, suggesting a fireworks ban wasn't necessary if German officials would only enforce the criminal laws already on the books.

Christine Aschenberg-Dugnus, a politician with the Free Democratic Party, said, "[O]nly consistent prosecution of the perpetrators under criminal law can prevent such attacks," reported DW.

Riots redux

Faeser expressed fear Thursday that the usual suspects will pick up where they left off last January, attacking police and firefighters, torching vehicles, and wreaking havoc in Berlin and other major cities, reported DW.

"I'm worried that New Year's Eve could once again be a day on which we are forced to experience blind rage and senseless violence in some cities, for example, against police officers or emergency services," said Faeser.

The interior minister indicated that federal states will roll out additional police this year on the basis of new risk assessments.

"On days like New Year's Eve, we now see a general increase in violence," Faeser continued, "and, of course, we have to keep a very close eye on the danger of this mixing with radicalization, which we are now seeing in light of the Middle East conflict."

Some Germans fear that there will be other targets this year beside first responders, especially amidst the recent rise in anti-Jewish violence.

German actress Monika Gruber told Bild in a recent interview, "I'm really a bit afraid of New Year's Eve this year, especially given the anti-Semitic protests like the ones recently in Essen. I'm horrified by the images that might come."

DW indicated that as of early November, anti-Semitic incidents had increased by 300% in Germany since the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks against Israel.

Why Germany debates immigration, integration and racism after New Year's Eve escalations | DW Newsyoutu.be

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Germany's biggest cities prepare for looming energy crisis by shutting off warm water, limiting heat, and switching off lighting



Some of Germany's biggest cities are preparing for an energy crunch this winter by shutting off warm water, limiting heat, and switching off lighting.

The German city of Hanover is attempting to reduce its energy consumption by 15%.

Between Oct. 1 and March 31, Hanover's municipal buildings will not be allowed to be heated to a temperature over 68F. The city has banned the use of mobile air conditioning units and fan heaters.

The citizens of Hanover will be forced to take cold showers at city-run facilities. The German city will cut off hot water in public buildings, swimming pools, and gyms.

"The situation is unpredictable. Every kilowatt hour counts, and protecting critical infrastructure has to be a priority," said Hanover Mayor Belit Onay – who is part of the Green party. "We are facing hard times due to the Russian aggression on Ukraine. And as we see that there's a looming gas shortage, this is a major challenge for municipalities."

"I think everyone, not only the municipalities — the federal government also, and also every single person in Germany — is needed for this. Everyone has to save energy as much as possible so we can get through the winter," Onsay said. "Otherwise ... in December or January, we will have much bigger problems than lighting or the showers."

Hanover isn't the only German city limiting energy use.

Last week, the German city of Munich announced that it would turn off spotlights on its town hall. The city also shut off warm water at its municipal offices. Fountains in Germany's third-largest city would be turned off at night.

Nuremberg closed three of its four public indoor swimming pools run by the city.

"Vonovia, the country’s largest residential landlord, said it would be lowering the temperature of its tenants’ gas central heating to 17C (62F) between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.," the Financial Times reported. "A housing association in the Saxon town of Dippoldiswalde, near the Czech border, went a step further this week, saying it was rationing the supply of hot water to tenants. From now on, they can only take hot showers between 4 a.m. - 8 a.m., 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. - 9 p.m."

The district of Lahn-Dill, near Frankfurt, turned off hot water in its 86 schools and 60 gyms until mid-September.

Last week, Berlin's senate voted to turn off the lighting of 200 monuments, buildings, and landmarks in the German capital of more than 3.5 million people to save electricity.

"In April, Berlin had announced measures to keep its outdoor swimming pools at two degrees below the weather-dependent standard temperature throughout the summer season," The Guardian reported.

Bettina Jarasch – Berlin’s senator for the environment – said, "In the face of the war against Ukraine and Russia’s energy threats it is vital that we handle our energy as carefully as possible."

Germany is one of the countries most heavily dependent on Russian energy.

In 2021, 34% of Germany's crude oil came from Russia and 53% of coal imported into Germany was shipped from Russia. Before the invasion of Ukraine, Germany received 55% of its natural gas from Russia, according to the New York Times.

Last week, Russian gas giant Gazprom PJSC declared that it would limit natural gas shipped through the Nord Stream pipeline to Germany down to 20% of capacity, Bloomberg reported.

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Hundreds arrested in Berlin during protest against Germany's 'corona dictatorship'



More than 200 people were arrested in Germany's capital city of Berlin on Wednesday, as law enforcement used water cannons to disperse thousands of demonstrators protesting against the government's consideration of its authority to impose COVID-19 restrictions.

The protesters say their government's actions amount to a "corona dictatorship."

What are the details?

Berlin police estimated that at least 200 arrests were made out of the crowd of 5,000 to 10,000 people who descended on the streets of the city as parliament debated a bill that, according to the Associated Press, "would provide legal underpinning for the government to issue social distancing rules, require masks in public and to close stores and other venues to slow the spread of the virus."

The measure passed both chambers of parliament and was signed by German President Angela Merkel the same afternoon.

CBS News reported:

As lawmakers in the German parliament voted to amend the country's Infection Protection Act, which lays out the restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19, thousands were protesting in the capital, accusing the government of using the law to curtail basic rights and establish a "corona dictatorship."

Law enforcement from several departments assisted federal police in dispersed the crowds, using water cannons and pepper spray.

The Washington Examiner reported that German officials had pre-emptively banned a dozen protests Tuesday that were planned in Berlin on Wednesday, citing security concerns. Authorities formed a perimeter around the Reichstag, Germany's parliament building, and demonstrations were not allowed in that area, but were allowed in other parts of the city.

The Washington Post reported last week that protests in Germany against the government coronavirus restrictions "are becoming increasingly radical," citing a 20,000-person-strong demonstration last month in the city of Leipzig. As evidence, the outlet pointed to a researcher who asserted that across the entire country of Germany, "there are around 77,000 unique users in QAnon-associated Telegram chat groups."

The Post further reported:

Authorities in Saxony said that most of the 20,000 people who gathered Saturday were peaceful. While 8 in 10 Germans think that strict measures are necessary to contain the coronavirus, according to a poll by ARD television, around 1 in 4 think the restrictions are disproportionate. Germany entered a new month-long lockdown at the beginning of November, as cases surged across Europe.

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