Police clear Berlin’s last major squat as radical left protests

Berlin (dpa) – Berlin’s radical left-wing scene was set to lose its last piece of prime real estate on Friday, after riot police forced entry into a building occupied by anarchists and removed over 50 people.

Around 1,500 police officers were involved in the massive operation to clear the property in the eastern district of Friedrichshain. Some officers were stationed on nearby rooftops and a large area around the site was cordoned off.

The residents at Liebigstrasse 34 – or “Liebig34” – describe the housing project as an “anarcha-queer-feminist collective.”

It is one of the last major housing projects occupied by leftists in the German capital, where formerly run-down areas have become increasingly gentrified in recent years.

Police arrived at the address shortly after 7 am (0500 GMT) and used crowbars and chainsaws to gain access to the barricaded building.

Fifty-seven residents were led out through a window on the first floor, which police had smashed to gain access, and down a ladder. Police said only a few of them resisted.

A spokesman declared the building empty several hours after the operation began.

There were some clashes in front of the building between police officers and black-clad protesters with their faces covered. Bottles were thrown as a helicopter circled overhead.

“In the neighbouring streets, our colleagues were in many places attacked, sometimes seriously, and had to also use physical force to enforce the measures,” the Berlin police department tweeted earlier in the day.

After clearing the property, police said a building expert would inspect individual rooms. “Afterwards we will prepare the handover to the bailiff,” a tweet said.

The police had previously said they were providing “administrative assistance” in order to clear the house after a court had ruled its occupation illegal.

On Thursday evening, several hundred protesters gathered peacefully on a nearby street to voice their opposition to the move.

Some windows were illuminated in the colourful, graffiti-adorned building, as the project’s supporters gave speeches and performed music.

Radical leftists have also vowed to “create chaos” over the course of Friday. A protest is scheduled to take place at 9 pm (1900 GMT), with 500 participants registered.

Berlin is currently battling to contain soaring coronavirus infections and night-time restrictions limiting outdoor gatherings to five people or two households kick in at midnight.

The Liebig34 residents and their supporters found some sympathy on social media.

However, one local resident, who asked not to be identified out of fear of reprisals, said that some radical leftists linked to the housing project had been violent and harassed neighbours in the area.

Referring to beatings and cars being set on fire in the neighbourhood, the resident, who describes himself as left-wing, accused extremists of “acting in a bit of a mobster way, thinking that they are above the law.”

Referring to the clearance of the building, he said, “I have mixed feelings about it. I feel like it’s going to be a relief for those residents who feel like they’ve been targeted.”

But he also expressed sympathy for long-term residents of the squat “who have tried to do things by the book and have contributed to the local area.”