Eklat at the Queeren Christmas Market: Stop boos in Finance Senator Evers!

Eklat at the Queeren Christmas Market: Stop boos in Finance Senator Evers!

On November 25, 2024, a spectacular scandal occurred during the opening of the queer Christmas market "Christmas Avenue" at Nollendorfplatz in Berlin. Financial Senator Stefan Evers, who was to keep the opening speech in the representation of the preventive mayor Kai Wegner, was received by loud protest and boos of the present. As Berlin Live stormed up to 30 demonstrators and used a creative protest with colorful confetti and pink banknotes to draw attention to the impending cuts in the cultural sector.

angry protest against cuts

The protest was specifically against the massive savings plans of the Berlin government, which also affect the Queere Community. Several queer youth centers in Pankow, Treptow, Neukölln and Spandau are about to close if the financial means are shortened, such as Tagesspiegel reported. During the protests, Evers was not physically attacked on stage, but the police took up the personal details of eight protesters. The senator finally left the stage without his planned speech and the event had to be interrupted.

In his reaction to the failed speech, Evers said: "I would like to have the money very much, then in fact we would not have to talk about cuts." He emphasized that the protest in this form is not expedient, confronted with the hard reality of the austerity measures that endanger the future operation of queer youth centers. The demonstrators loudly demanded the withdrawal of the planned cuts and a secure financing of the queer institutions.