Berlin edition of dweller will not take place this year amidst strikes, festival confirms
The New York festival cited poor treatment of those “opposing the Palestinian genocide” in Germany
New York's dweller festival has announced that it will not hold an event in Berlin this year, amidst strikes in Germany’s cultural sector in response treatment of those “opposing the Palestinian genocide” in Germany.
dweller, a festival and event series celebrating Black electronic musicians based in New York landed in Berlin last year with an all-Black line-up at Berghain and Panorama Bar.
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“We will not be hosting an edition of Dweller in Berlin this year,” the festival announced on Twitter on Wednesday.
“We made this decision a while ago due to the way German institutions were treating those opposing the current genocide in Palestine, it’s now reached an absurd level of control.”
The announcement follows a call for “international cultural workers” to strike in Germany, urging workers to “refuse German cultural institutions' use of McCarthyist policies that suppress freedom of expression, specifically expressions of solidarity with Palestine”.
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The strike is headed up by Strike Germany, and demands three things: protecting artistic freedom, focusing the fight against anti-semitism, and combatting structural racism.
“The German state cannot continue to consolidate further authoritarianism against voices opposed to racism, colonialism, and genocide,” reads Strike Germany’s website.
“Strike Germany calls on cultural workers to strike, sign the signatory list, and pressure institutions to commit to demands”, it adds. “It is addressed primarily to international cultural workers invited for shows, festivals, and panels at German cultural institutions.”
Read more about the cultural strikes in Germany here.
Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Assistant Editor, follow her on Twitter