Fear of egg throwing: Berlin's Governing Mayor Kai Wegner stays away from DGB rally on May 1
If Kai Wegner had secretly wondered how he would be received in some union circles in Berlin, he received a clear answer to his question on Tuesday evening at the Ufa factory in Tempelhof . At his own talk event, "Kai Wegner on Location," Berlin's Governing Mayor was shouted down by Verdi activists. The fact that he had had a perfectly reasonable conversation with other union members outside the door an hour earlier was largely lost in the commotion.
The sociopolitical mood in Berlin has become more tense, the confrontations more intense, the tone harsher. Berlin's head of government has drawn a conclusion: He is staying away from the traditional May Day rally of the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) . As he has done in the two previous years.
Wegner doesn't see himself as being in conflict with the unions. Quite the opposite. "Berlin is continuously working to promote good working conditions for all employees. Because good work is the prerequisite for a self-determined life, including social participation," the head of government was quoted as saying in a statement on the eve of May 1. And: "For us, the principle of 'equal pay for equal work of equal value' applies."
Katja Karger, chairwoman of the 211,000 Berlin and 140,000 Brandenburg DGB members, says it's a shame that Wegner isn't attending. This is "not a new topic," but she can "understand the decision," Karger said in an interview with the Berliner Zeitung.
The 56-year-old remembers her first May Day demonstration as DGB head in Berlin all too well. "It was truly catastrophic," says Karger.
It was May 1, 2022, and Karger was standing on stage at the Brandenburg Gate with then-Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey (SPD) . A mob had more or less hijacked the traditional procession and tried to shout down guest speaker Giffey. When she refused to be shouted down, someone threw an egg at the politician, which one of her bodyguards was just able to deflect with an umbrella, baseball-style. Giffey remained unharmed.
Since that disturbing act of violence three years ago, at the very latest, the DGB has begun to work closely with the Senate Chancellery before every May Day rally. Security analyses from the State Criminal Police Office are also consulted. And then answers must be found to questions like: What can be expected? Is an appearance by the Governing Mayor justifiable?
The result: Giffey's successor , Kai Wegner , decided not to appear on the big stage in 2023 and 2024. Both times, however, the CDU politician later mingled with the visitors at the union festival without prior notice. The conversations were always positive.
Wegner will not be speaking at the DGB this year either. The situation in the city appears too explosive, further fueled by the Middle East war that is affecting Berlin. May Day will also be in the spotlight. After all, the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas is often interpreted in the German capital as a conflict between rich and poor, north and south.
Thus, the Workers' Day could serve as an opportunity for activists to take the supposed concerns of the so-called Global South – against a North perceived as capitalist – to Berlin's streets. Who knows, perhaps the buzzword of anti-Muslim racism, which is especially important to combat on this day, will be invoked again. After all, most of the world's Muslims live in this Global South.
May 1st as a day of struggle of the Global South against the capitalist NorthEither way, an escalation at the DGB event apparently cannot be ruled out. Its head had these words: "The city isn't becoming more peaceful at the moment." CDU representative Wegner prefers to stay away. "It was a joint decision," says union representative Karger. Whether Wegner will return to the festival remains to be seen.
The chairwoman makes no secret of the fact that the DGB is unhappy about the escalating mood in Berlin. In her view, the focus should primarily be on traditional issues such as good working conditions and wages. The union event is the wrong place for anything else.
At the DGB, they are "very happy that the Revolutionary 6 p.m. Demonstration exists," says Karger, hoping for clear front lines. The people marching there "have no business being here. They're not in the right place," she says. However, she also suspects that some of these people will still march with them and will also be there at the Red City Hall.
It's not for nothing that the trade union federation has adopted a set of rules for its own demonstration. This includes not accepting racist banners. Furthermore, the DGB does not permit anti-Israel or anti-Palestine propaganda—but also not friendly propaganda. National flags are also prohibited.
But what happens if someone doesn't comply? The union federation's policy is to de-escalate, says Karger. However, she also understands that if someone deviates from the consensus of the demonstration and doesn't stop even after a friendly request, security personnel will intervene.
The Berlin police have also changed their risk assessment for the DGB demonstration at Strausberger Platz and the concluding rally in front of the Rotes Rathaus (Red City Hall). After a "Palestine bloc" hung onto the DGB's march last year, once denounced as a "lazy" demonstration, restrictions were imposed this year. For example, no one was allowed to chant slogans glorifying Hamas.
However, according to DGB leader Karger, the police should only intervene in the rally in front of the Red Town Hall as a last resort: "If a hundred people storm the rally, the rally is ruined."
Kai Wegner also wishes all Berliners "a happy and, above all, peaceful Labor Day." He also thanks "all emergency services, especially the police, fire department, and rescue services, who ensure our safety on May 1st."
Berliner-zeitung
