[Resistance-precarity] FW: [Euromayday] Action in Berlin: "Die Ãberflüssigen" (The Dispensables)

[Lydia Molyneaux]

Here's an account of some interesting actions — also some info on resistance 
to the Hartz laws.

R


>From: "act" <act at so36.net>
>Reply-To: networkers of europe united for a eurowide mayday 
><euromayday at euromayday.org>
>To: "euromayday at euromayday.org" <euromayday at euromayday.org>
>Subject: [Euromayday] Action in Berlin: "Die Überflüssigen" (The   
>Dispensables)
>Date: Mon, 20 Dec 2004 20:43:31 +0100
>
>On Saturday, 18th of Dec, the DISPENSABLES* made themselves highly visible 
>in Berlin: In the afternoon, about 50 persons went into the department 
>store of Wertheim at the Kurfürstendamm. Many of them were dressed up like 
>Santa Claus and Angels, they were carrying with them a christmas tree, and 
>singing an angry chorus about precarization and the 
>â€z<caron>HartzIV“-law. Inside the store they talked to employees (who 
>are threatened by reduction of jobs at present) and customers, and started 
>to decorate the tree with sweeties from the store. The tree was then 
>carried outside the store and the sweeties where handed to the people on 
>the street around. At last there was a call to the blockade of employment 
>offices in germany at 3rd of Jan (â€z<caron>Aktion Agenturschluß“). 
>Police showed up too late.
>
>In the evening, some 30 DISPENSABLES payed a visit to noble restaurant 
>â€z<caron>Borchardts“ downtown. They took a seat besides the customers 
>and demanded to be invited to their meal (menu 80 Euro and more). They 
>insisted on discussions about the discrepancy between the expensive eating 
>at hand and the lowered social benefits. After a while they were forced out 
>violently by waiters. Police showed up too late...
>And the day after the berlin papers had a lot to lament about.
>
>*I’m not sure if there may be a better translation of â€z<caron>Die 
>Überflüssigen“, meaning people who are not needed any more by 
>postfordist capitalist production (or so it seems), but do not intend to 
>disappear at all. You may have seen them in London at the ESF. 
>â€z<caron>Die Ãœberflüssigen“ are acting in Berlin since a few months, 
>including people from ACT! and from other radical left groups, showing up 
>with red sweatshirts and white theater-like masks and performing protest 
>against neoliberal politics.
>
>Links to actions you find here:
>
>18th Dec:
>http://www.taz.de/pt/2004/12/20/a0246.nf/text.ges,1
>http://www.jungewelt.de/2004/12-20/015.php
>http://morgenpost.berlin1.de/content/2004/12/20/berlin/723851.html
>http://bz.berlin1.de/aktuell/news/041220/borchardt.html
>http://www.berlinonline.de/berliner-kurier/berlin/65284.html
>
>Occupation of Labour Welfare Organisation AWO (which benefits from the 
>precare â€z<caron>1-Euro-Jobs“ of the HartzIV-Law):
>http://www1.antifa.de/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=219& 
>mode=thread&order=0&thold=0
>http://www.germany.indymedia.org/2004/10/96154.shtml
>
>Homepage â€z<caron>Die Ãœberflüssigen“:
>http://www.ueberfluessig.tk
>
>[btw, please if possible write in english on this list if you want people 
>in other countries to learn about whats going on at your place...]
>
>all the best, Bernhard (FelS-Berlin)
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>Euromayday mailing list
>Euromayday at euromayday.org
>https://euromayday.org/mailman/listinfo/euromayday