This is Berlin’s news podcast. Tonight: Oranienplatz has been cleared out. The refugee camp has been replaced by a police camp. Politicians are claiming victory, and crass young conservatives are photographing themselves in front of the demolished camp. Now that the protesting refugees are hidden away in a hostel, will the city forget about their plight?Police have been busy lately. They also helped evict a man from his Neukölln apartment, after he failed to pay his rent on time, due to an error by the Jobcenter. Over 120 protesters failed to prevent his eviction. He is now homeless. It has also been revealed that Berlin police are sending hundreds of thousands of ghost SMS messages to track suspects in a NSA-style operation.
Human statues have been ordered to shuffle away from Pariser Platz. The Mitte city council decided that costumed characters posing with tourists in front of the Brandenburger Tor are a nuisance, and must clear off. Another example of the fun police in action?
Don’t forget to register to vote in the European elections by May 5! You can get the form here:http://www.bmi.bund.de/SharedDocs/Kurzmeldungen/EN/2014/02/european-elections-2014.html
And don’t forget to support Joel’s European Freelancers Movement campaign by adding your name here: www.freelancers-europe.org
Music tonight from Dylan III: https://soundcloud.com/dylaniii