Hundreds of protesters attend the 'Safe Spaces for Black People' demonstration outside the Volksbühne Theatre at Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz in Berlin on Friday, August 21, 2026. Police officers stand watch during the protest. [Betty Njeru, Standard]
Police in Berlin on Friday, August 21, thwarted a potential infiltration attempt by alleged right-wing populists and streamers at a protest meant to create safe spaces for the Black community.
At least two right-wing streamers were arrested at the demonstrations, which drew nearly 500 people just outside the Volksbühne on Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz, the venue where a swimming event for young Black children was cancelled last week.
Friday's protest, attended by several people of colour, was held in response to racist threats and intimidation targeting Black people in Germany.
Rosalina Koch, one of the organisers, criticised the silence of the wider public, warning that it risks growing into a bigger problem.
"There's something deeply troubling about how loudly anti-racism is performed in this city, while anti-Black racism is allowed to happen right in front of everyone's face. Before you even cancelled the swimming event, you should have offered to help," she said.
Ethiopian activist Castoya Nara, who was involved in a brief altercation with the alleged right-wing streamers, urged Black people across Europe to present a united front and reject division. "It's our right to be anywhere in the world. This is why we are here today," Nara said.
The main organisers, Each One Teach One, a publicly funded non-governmental organisation, along with other cultural associations, are now demanding an immediate end to the hostilities, in a statement addressed to the Berlin Senate and the House of Representatives.