dweller festival, a New York-based event and festival series dedicated to celebrating Black electronic musicians, has announced that it will not be holding an event in Berlin this year. The decision has been taken in response to the treatment of those opposing the “Palestinian genocide” in Germany. Last year, the festival held an all-Black line-up event in Berghain and Panorama Bar, two iconic Berlin clubs.
The announcement follows a call for “international cultural workers” to strike in Germany, urging workers to “refuse German cultural institutions’ use of McCarthyist policies that suppress freedom of expression, specifically expressions of solidarity with Palestine”. The strike, headed up by Strike Germany, demands three things: protecting artistic freedom, focusing the fight against anti-semitism, and combatting structural racism.
“The German state cannot continue to consolidate further authoritarianism against voices opposed to racism, colonialism, and genocide”, reads Strike Germany’s website. “Strike Germany calls on cultural workers to strike, sign the signatory list, and pressure institutions to commit to demands”, it adds. “It is addressed primarily to international cultural workers invited for shows, festivals, and panels at German cultural institutions.”
dweller festival made its announcement through Twitter on Wednesday, stating “We will not be hosting an edition of Dweller in Berlin this year. We made this decision a while ago due to the way German institutions were treating those opposing the current genocide in Palestine, it’s now reached an absurd level of control which you can read more on below.”
The festival’s decision highlights the importance of ethical considerations in the music industry. As music evolves, it is vital that these considerations remain at the center of event planning, so that musicians and their fans can make their voices heard and take a stand against injustice
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