#227: No Kreuzberg greenspace, building on Tempelhof, cops investigating cops
And shop closing hours used to be way, way worse
Hey 20 Percent!
A huge thanks to you all — my standup solo next week sold out within days. Really looking forward to it and it has encouraged us to do more events. We’ll have a Christmas Party coupled with a hilarious panel show (think: Have I Got News For You) in December — once we stitch up the details we’ll let you know.
Have a good weekend!
Andrew
PS: As an additional thank you, the folks over at the Döner Calendar are offering our readers 10% off by using the code 20READ. It not only features everyone’s favorite breakfast food but also the owners behind the impressive variety of Döners. If you’re a subscriber/donor we’ll send you a code to get 20% off! As good as the Döner itself.
No, we can’t have nice Landwehrkanals
Berlin’s pro-car government has halted a plan to create a green oasis for bikes and pedestrians on the north side of the Landwehrkanal between Mendelssohn-Bartoldy-Park and Urban harbor (where the Urban hospital is) because, sigh, it would just be too much work, according to Spiegel. All vehicle traffic would be moved to the southern road to make way for the project, which had already been greenlighted by federal officials, who also ponied up €2.95 million to get it started. A high-ranking CDU politician in the interior ministry said the stretch is important for buses and trucks and alternative routes would first have to be found — an undertaking too big for their office. Even the center-left SPD, the CDU’s partner in our government, said the CDU was nuts for halting the project. But, sigh, probably too much work to get your partners to change their car-loving minds.
Doch building on Tempelhof?
Speaking of our government: The 100% Tempelhofer Feld folks say a proposed law designed to ostensibly make more room for refugee housing at Tempelhof is actually a Trojan horse, crafted to make it easier to build east and south of the current buildings, according to taz. 100% Tempelhofer Feld successfully passed a 2014 initiative to prevent construction at the former airport and its spokesman says no new law is needed to allow refugee housing at the site. The current government has launched a design competition for building on the edges of Tempelhof though Mayor Kai Wegner(CDU) has promised to first ask Berlin voters again for permission before starting any construction.
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Knifecrab
Welcome Knifecrab as our newsletter political cartoonist! Very funny person Caroline Clifford will semi-regularly contribute to 20 Percent Berlin to add a new angle. She teaches stand-up comedy classes and writes the Authentic Comedian newsletter.
The Berlin cops, again
The Polizei is investigating two officers for assault while in uniform after over-reacting to protests by Last Generation climate activists, according to rbb. An undercover officer jumped on protestors painting the Kanzleramt Tuesday and drew a paintbrush across one’s face while another uniformed copper Saturday shoved a Dutch protestor from behind, causing her to fall face-first onto the sidewalk. Both attacks can be seen on X/Twitter. And, finally, Berlin officers enjoyed global criticism after a video surfaced of them removing posters highlighting Israelis kidnapped by Hamas on a Litfaßsäule (advertising column), according to t-online. The cops defended their actions by saying the posters were illegally placed.
Factoid
Oh, shops closing on Sundays irks you? Friend, it used to be worse. In 1996, November 3 was a Sunday and it was the first Sunday bakers were allowed to open their doors and sell you fresh Brötchen. Retail opening hours were liberalized in 1996 — the first time since 1957. Stores have only been allowed to stay open until 8pm on Saturdays since 2003 — before that it was 4pm. The national government handed shop opening hours to state governments in 2006 (and Berlin all-but eliminated them, with the exception of Sundays).
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Hi Andrew, this is a bit of a long shot but I bought tickets for next week's show immediately after hearing about it, but unfortunately we have to travel suddenly due to a family issue. Seeing as it's sold out, please let us know if there's any way to pass our two tickets on to other fans who want to see the show!
We're so sad to miss the chance to see you perform, but hope there will be another opportunity soon, perhaps in December as you mentioned!
Don’t know, but this get the flat sound as much like a bot service as last weeks appointment finder