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Revolutionary 1st of May - Berlin Kreuzberg 2008
Since more than 20 years the revolutionary 1st of May in the german capital Berlin takes place in the district Kreuzberg. And no state- or police strategy did end this antagonist tradition.
Demonstration at 18 o'clock
Fight together against capitalism and war - for solidarity and social revolution! An association from antifascist, autonomous and internationalist groups calls to join the Revolutionary 1st of May Demonstration this year at 18 o'clock in the Berlin district of Kreuzberg. The manifestation will start at the subway station "U-Bhf. Kottbusser Tor".
Concert "Beats against fascism"
On May 1st at 14 o'clock the open air concert "Beats against fascism" will start at Kottbusser Tor. The well-known Ska-Band "Banda Bassotti" from Rome (Italy) and "Keny Arkana", a Rap-Formation from Marseille (France) will support the demonstration and will play at the initial manifestation of the Revolutionary 1st of May Demonstration at 17 o'clock.
Myfest and Mariannenplatz Fest
Like in the years before there will be a big official open air festival with many concerts in the streets of the district Kreuzberg, called "Myfest". The festival is sponsored by the district, the city and with European money. The so called "Myfest" was developed to stop the political demonstrations in the district, but nevertheless because of this festival the streets are also crowded with people who support any kind of leftwing demonstrations. Like in the last year the Revolutionary 1st of May Demonstration will lead directly through the "Myfest”. In the moment, talks with the Myfest Organizers are being held. Like in all the years before the political festival "Mariannenplatzfest" at the Mariannenplatz-square in the district will also take place and like every year you can find political stands of different leftwing and left radical organisations there.
Motto of Demonstration
One main goal of the demonstration this year is the resistance against privatization, gentrification and displacement of the local population from their districts. We are demonstrating against capitalism and also against imperialist wars. Like everywhere in Europe and in the world neoliberalism and globalization have direct effects on the people living in popular districts like here in Berlin in Kreuzberg. They are privatizing the houses to drive away the poor people to the periphery, as they did in France. They did privatize the water and they want to change whole districts into tourist areas. And in the moment many left house-projects are in danger, they want to evict the rests of the alternative antagonist scene. And while the people are getting poorer and poorer, the German state is making more and more propaganda for the imperialist war like in Afghanistan. Anti-war resistance in Germany is confronted with repression.
History
In the year of 1987, the famous uprising in Berlin-Kreuzberg took place. As a protest against the integration of the labour unions and against the 750-years-celebretation of Berlin, visited by the rich people, while homeless people died in the cold winter, and against the population census big riots in the streets and plundering of shops broke out. The years after this event, every year the Revolutionary 1st of May Demonstration in Berlin-Kreuzberg was organized. They wanted to stop this tradition e.g. by forbidding it or with brutal police violence, but no method reached its goal. The last years the police and state-bureaucracy wanted to forbid the demonstration route through Kreuzberg and they developed the idea of organizing a state controlled festival (Myfest) to occupy the streets and to split the people between political and non-political and between foreigners and people living in the district. The reaction by parts of the Revolutionary 1st of May Organizers was to make spontanious - "illegal" - demonstrations directly through the Myfest area to show that the people support the Revolutionary 1st of May and that the police cannot stop it. Also because of the mobilization character for the anti-G8 protests, in the last year the organizations of the Revolutionary 1st of May 2007 at 18 o'clock have again been able to organize a big non-illegal Revolutionary 1st of May Demonstration directly through the streets of Kreuzberg, with about 8.000 to 10.000 people. In this year we are expecting to march the traditional Kreuzberg Revolutionary 1st of May route directly through all the crowded streets of Kreuzberg.
Quite something -- and not all of it completely silly either..........
As for me, I would much rather go for a beautiful walk along the Lalinde canal in this glorious weather we are experiencing, and on my way back pick a small bunch of Muguet -- or Lily of the Valley, the symbol of spring, love and happiness..
The tradition to offer lily of the valley or muguet on May 1 in a small amulet goes right back to before the Middle Ages.
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Chateau Lalinde : The perfect venue for your event
