Today we were in Friedrichshain for the Immobilien-Rallye which was a demonstration for the preservation of squats and political activist/artist communes. It began on the corner of Rigaerstraße & Liebigstraße. People were to competitively build “homes” that could be carried or moved by wheels (but no motors) through the streets. There were prizes for several categories and games along the way where a team member would have to do something to win points. The float that we walked with was the Cuban Revolution Bar in which during the course of the demonstration was carried by four people and had Helga as a bartender on the inside serving Cuba Libres. It was a great deal of fun.
In Berlin we’re at a crossroads. The golden era of “just before”, “during”, and “just after” the wall fell down is over. Activists, punks and artists were once able to band together to root themselves in a house that nobody wanted or cared about and build a community. Nowadays nearly everyone knows about the cheap rents in Berlin. People from all over the world come in to buy buildings. They renovate them and then put them out for a much higher price to the people coming in fresh from richer cities. People who have been in buildings for years and years are starting to be pushed out.
It was a nice demonstration and there was no real trouble from anyone. I’m very curious about what the future will bring and where everyone in ten years will be. Berlin is my home and as much as I’d like to see this city go in the direction of progress, I’m also feeling very protective of what is already here. It would be nice if people involved in these projects would learn how to beat the system. It’s time to stop being “against” but rather “for” something. We could all make something new and stronger than before.
Our house, the “Cuba Libre Bar” was built by Weissroth & Scheer Gbr
