From the BZ editorial team
The massive riots on New Year’s Eve in Berlin. A guest contribution from Neukölln’s mayor, Martin Hikel.
We have already seen a lot in Berlin and Neukölln. Every year on New Year’s Eve there is wild firecrackers. As early as 20 years ago, groups of men stood on Hermannstrasse and shot each other with blank pistols. Berlin firefighters are used to a lot during their operations. That’s bad enough. But what we experienced a week ago is disgusting. Fire brigade and rescue workers were deliberately lured into ambushes and attacked there by hooded people. Police officers were shot at with blank guns at close range.
The violent perpetrators have contributed to the fact that their neighbors, who urgently needed help, could be cared for too late or not at all.
The perpetrators were mostly young men with a history of migration who live in deprived areas. Does it now help to focus on the migration background and look for the causes there? Not really when I think about the fact that 150,000 people with a migration background live and work in Neukölln, who are committed and just want to lead a peaceful life. These perpetrators terrorize their neighbors, who also have a migration background. And that’s why this discussion alone doesn’t get us any further. What the violent criminals have in common, however, is that they come from hotspot neighborhoods. So we need to talk about what to do there.
Even if New Year’s Eve was an extreme situation: Local residents and rescue workers know that these troublemakers are not only out and about on New Year’s Eve. But the people of our city have the right to safety in public spaces. Anyone who advocates peaceful coexistence deserves to be protected from those who reject all offers and turn against their own neighbourhood. We have to be consistent here. Otherwise we will not take our own democratic rules of the game seriously and will lose all respect as a constitutional state and as a society.
The first thing these violent criminals need to realize is that their actions have consequences. That means the punishment has to follow immediately – and it has to be noticeable.
A few community hours won’t help. Attacks by rescue workers are punishable by up to 5 years imprisonment. Anyone who uses pyrotechnics as a dangerous tool for dangerous bodily harm must reckon with up to 10 years imprisonment.
That’s why it’s so important to me to max out the sentences for adults and, if possible, to use the shortened criminal procedure for juvenile offenders. For some people, only the immediate consequence works – and that may also mean a rethinking of some judges. Above all, we need more staff in the Berlin judiciary to enable quick judgments. Incidentally, consistency also protects everyone on site who wants to move around safely in their neighborhood and who are committed to harmonious coexistence.
On the other hand, we need a better social infrastructure in the long term – especially in the hotspot neighborhoods!
Together with district management, district mothers, clubs, youth camps, cultural offerings and schools, we have been working in Neukölln for many years to bring people together and make our diversity peaceful and visible. There’s still a lot of room for improvement, but we’ve already achieved a lot.
This year we celebrated a public breaking of the fast at Sonnenallee and High Deck Settlement and City Hall Hanukkah. Every year there are colorful processions around our unique Hindu temple. In our schools, teachers and social workers give young people prospects every day. They convey democracy and respectful coexistence.
Peaceful coexistence, regardless of origin, religion and cultural background, works in Neukölln. But it only works if we can also express our democratic rules in everyday life and make it clear what democracy does not put up with.