Latest news with #AlternativeforGermany
NBC News
16 hours ago
- Politics
- NBC News
How an LGBTQ cafe's neon sign became a beacon for hate in Berlin
BERLIN — A neon sign inside the Das Hoven cafe in a trendy Berlin neighborhood proudly proclaims "QUEER AND FRIENDS." The sign was intended to show the cafe is a safe space for LGBTQ+ people. But it has also become a beacon for hate and homophobic attacks. Owner Danjel Zarte said there are 45 pending criminal investigations related to the cafe over the past year and a half, ranging from verbal and physical attacks on patrons and workers to windows being broken or covered in feces and Nazi graffiti. One person even stood outside the cafe with a gun. "An act of terror," Zarte said. "I sometimes have panic attacks in the morning and am afraid to look at my cell phone because I'm afraid that something has happened again." Attacks against LGBTQ people and gay-friendly establishments are rising across Germany, including in Berlin, a city that has historically embraced the community, members of which often use the word queer to describe themselves. Last year saw a 40% increase in violence targeting LGBTQ+ people in 12 of Germany's 16 federal states as compared to 2023, according to the Association of Counseling Centers for Victims of Right-Wing, Racist and Antisemitic Violence. Activists say those figures only show a fraction of the problem's scope because victims are often afraid to come forward. They partly blame the rise of the far-right across Europe, including in Germany where the Alternative for Germany party made significant gains in the February election. Hostility toward LGBTQ+ people serves as a "rallying cry" for believers in right-wing extremism, according to Judith Porath, the association's managing director. Experts have seen an increase in demonstrations and violence among neo-Nazis, most of whom are young men. Bastian Finke, the head of MANEO, an organization tracking anti-gay violence in the capital city, said those who are openly queer on Berlin's roads "automatically run a very, very high risk simply because of who they are. To be attacked, to be insulted, to be spat on. We have these scenarios every day." The fear was palpable at Saturday's Christopher Street Day parade in Berlin. The annual Pride event commemorates the 1969 Stonewall rebellion in New York City, when a spontaneous street uprising was triggered by a police raid on the Stonewall Inn gay bar on Christopher Street in Greenwich Village. "The mood is actually tense: People are afraid, they are unsettled," Thomas Hoffmann, a member of the event's executive board, said Saturday. Hundreds of thousands of people showed up for the celebration, dancing to techno beats as they marched to the iconic Brandenburg Gate. "That is really a powerful, wonderful sign for more equality," Hoffmann added. Hoffmann and others have long wanted German lawmakers to amend the constitution to explicitly include the legal protection of LGBTQ+ people from discrimination based on gender identity. But that looks unlikely to become a political priority. For Zarte, the stress of hate crimes and politics is nonstop, except during the Christopher Street Day parade, which always brings him to tears.
NDTV
18 hours ago
- Politics
- NDTV
'Queer And Friends' Cafe Becomes Target Of Hate In Berlin, Endures 45 Attacks In 18 Months
A neon sign inside the Das Hoven cafe in a trendy Berlin neighbourhood proudly proclaims "QUEER AND FRIENDS." The sign was intended to show the cafe is a safe space for LGBTQ+ people. But it has also become a beacon for hate and homophobic attacks. Owner Danjel Zarte said there are 45 pending criminal investigations related to the cafe over the past year and a half, ranging from verbal and physical attacks on patrons and workers to windows being broken or covered in feces and swastika graffiti. One person even stood outside the cafe with a gun. "An act of terror," Zarte said. "I sometimes have panic attacks in the morning and am afraid to look at my cell phone because I'm afraid that something has happened again." Attacks against LGBTQ+ people and gay-friendly establishments are rising across Germany, including in Berlin, a city that has historically embraced the community, members of which often use the word queer to describe themselves. Last year, there was a 40% increase in violence targeting LGBTQ+ people in 12 of Germany's 16 federal states as compared to 2023, according to the Association of Counseling Centers for Victims of Right-Wing, Racist and Antisemitic Violence. Activists say those figures only show a fraction of the problem's scope because victims are often afraid to come forward. They partly blame the rise of the far-right across Europe, including in Germany where the Alternative for Germany party made significant gains in the February election. Hostility toward LGBTQ+ people serves as a "rallying cry" for believers in right-wing extremism, according to Judith Porath, the association's managing director. Experts have seen an increase in demonstrations and violence among neo-Nazis, most of whom are young men. Bastian Finke, the head of MANEO, an organisation tracking anti-gay violence in the capital city, said those who are openly queer on Berlin's roads "automatically run a very, very high risk simply because of who they are. To be attacked, to be insulted, to be spat on. We have these scenarios every day." The fear was palpable at Saturday's Christopher Street Day parade in Berlin. The annual Pride event commemorates the 1969 Stonewall rebellion in New York City, when a spontaneous street uprising was triggered by a police raid on the Stonewall Inn gay bar on Christopher Street in Greenwich Village. "The mood is actually tense: People are afraid, they are unsettled," Thomas Hoffmann, a member of the event's executive board, said Saturday. Hundreds of thousands of people showed up for the celebration, dancing to techno beats as they marched to the iconic Brandenburg Gate. "That is really a powerful, wonderful sign for more equality," Hoffmann added. Hoffmann and others have long wanted German lawmakers to amend the constitution to explicitly include the legal protection of LGBTQ+ people from discrimination based on gender identity. But that looks unlikely to become a political priority. For Zarte, the stress of hate crimes and politics is nonstop, except during the Christopher Street Day parade, which always brings him to tears. "It is very moving to feel completely accepted once a year," he said.
Economist
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Economist
The German politicians who want to bar the AfD from government jobs
GERMANY'S DEAD-EYED bureaucrats are rarely the object of citizens' affections. But could some be seeking to subvert democracy? Such was the concern of Michael Ebling, the interior minister of Rhineland-Palatinate, when he declared that members of the hard-right Alternative for Germany (afd) would be barred from public-sector jobs in his state. 'Anyone who places themselves in the service of this state must remain loyal to the constitution,' he thundered. What ensued was, as the Germans call it, ein Shitstorm. Mr Ebling wavered, clarifying that afd members would be individually assessed rather than collectively banned. But the case encapsulates the struggle of Germany's centrists to lock out an extremist party that is becoming part of the mainstream.
Euronews
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Berlin LGBTQ+ café targeted in wave of escalating hate crimes
Inside a cozy café in one of Berlin's trendiest neighbourhoods, a glowing neon sign reads 'Queer and Friends.' It was meant to be a warm welcome - an invitation to LGBTQ+ people seeking a safe space. Instead, it has become a target for hate. Das Hoven café owner Danjel Zarte says his business has faced a relentless campaign of homophobic abuse. In the past 18 months, there have been 45 criminal investigations into incidents ranging from verbal abuse and violent assaults to vandalism involving swastika graffiti, smashed windows, and even faeces. One person even stood outside the café with a gun, he recalled. 'When I opened the café and it became clear that it would be a queer establishment, the attacks began with faeces on the windows, with things being thrown at the windows or into the café,' Zarte said.'Verbal attacks, physical assaults, fire extinguishers thrown at the first floor of my office, windshield wipers broken off, windows smashed... an act of terror.' His story reflects a growing crisis across Germany. According to the Association of Counseling Centres for Victims of Right-Wing, Racist and Antisemitic Violence, anti-LGBTQ+ attacks rose by 40% last year in 12 of the country's 16 federal states. Much of the blame, advocates say, lies with the rise of the far-right, including Germany's Alternative for Germany party (Alternative für Deutschland - AfD), who made significant electoral gains this year. Yet despite this rise of hate, hundreds of thousands still turned out for Berlin's annual Christopher Street Day parade this year - a celebration rooted in the spirit of the 1969 Stonewall rebellion in New York. 'Suddenly, when you stand in such a crowd and simply see these differences, which then bring us together again, it is very moving to feel completely accepted once a year," said Zarte at the parade. Check out the video above for more about the hateful attacks on Das Hoven.
CTV News
20 hours ago
- Politics
- CTV News
How an LGBTQ+ cafe's neon sign became a beacon for hate in Berlin
BERLIN — A neon sign inside the Das Hoven cafe in a trendy Berlin neighbourhood proudly proclaims 'QUEER AND FRIENDS.' The sign was intended to show the cafe is a safe space for LGBTQ+ people. But it has also become a beacon for hate and homophobic attacks. Owner Danjel Zarte said there are 45 pending criminal investigations related to the cafe over the past year and a half, ranging from verbal and physical attacks on patrons and workers to windows being broken or covered in feces and swastika graffiti. One person even stood outside the cafe with a gun. 'An act of terror,' Zarte said. 'I sometimes have panic attacks in the morning and am afraid to look at my cell phone because I'm afraid that something has happened again.' Attacks against queer people and gay-friendly establishments are rising across Germany, including in Berlin, a city that has historically embraced the queer community. Last year, there was a 40% increase in violence targeting LGBTQ+ people in 12 of Germany's 16 federal states as compared to 2023, according to the Association of Counseling Centers for Victims of Right-Wing, Racist and Antisemitic Violence. Activists say those figures only show a fraction of the probem's scope because victims are often afraid to come forward. They partly blame the rise of the far-right across Europe, including in Germany where the Alternative for Germany party made significant gains in the February election. Hostility toward LGBTQ+ people serves as a 'rallying cry' for believers in right-wing extremism, according to Judith Porath, the association's managing director. Experts have seen an increase in demonstrations and violence among neo-Nazis, most of whom are young men. Bastian Finke, the head of MANEO, an organization tracking anti-gay violence in the capital city, said those who are openly queer on Berlin's roads 'automatically run a very, very high risk simply because of who they are. To be attacked, to be insulted, to be spat on. We have these scenarios every day.' The fear was palpable at Saturday's Christopher Street Day parade in Berlin. The annual Pride event commemorates the 1969 Stonewall rebellion in New York City, when a spontaneous street uprising was triggered by a police raid on the Stonewall Inn gay bar on Christopher Street in Greenwich Village. 'The mood is actually tense: People are afraid, they are unsettled,' Thomas Hoffmann, a member of the event's executive board, said Saturday. Hundreds of thousands of people showed up for the celebration, dancing to techno beats as they marched to the iconic Brandenburg Gate. 'That is really a powerful, wonderful sign for more equality,' Hoffmann added. Hoffmann and others have long wanted German lawmakers to amend the constitution to explicitly include the legal protection of queer people from discrimination based on gender identity. But that looks unlikely to become a political priority. For Zarte, the stress of hate crimes and politics is nonstop, except during the Christopher Street Day parade, which always brings him to tears. 'It is very moving to feel completely accepted once a year,' he said. ___ Pietro De Cristofaro in Berlin contributed to this report. Fanny Brodersen And Stefanie Dazio, The Associated Press
