In June 2015 the city of Hamburg announced that they planned to build an accommodation for 192 refugees and homeless people in the street Björnsonweg in the neighbourhood of Blankenese. An initiative of local residents proclaimed that the number of 192 would exceed the capacity of the Björnsonweg and offered to help integrating up to 90 refugees.
Additionally, local residents threatened to circumvent the city's plans for reasons of building regulations. The insistence on the observance of building regulations of course were no end in itself, but were an legal instrument in order to disrupt the city's building plans entirely. The racist neighbours found another false pretence by referring to nature protection laws: 42 trees on the designated construction site were the reason for the racist neighbour's “worries” who dedicated their life to “environmentalist activism”. In April 2016 local residents blocked the driveway of the designated site with about 20 cars in order to prevent the necessary tree felling works. One day before that incident a biologist was attacked and insulted while she was branding the trees designated to be felled and unknown people sabotaged the branding of trees. One day after the blockade neighbours of the site stopped the tree felling works juridically by referring to the European environmental legislation. After the construction freeze had temporarily been lifted the administrative court approved it again in June 2016 after another lawsuit started by local residents. It is still uncertain whether the accommodation can be built.
Of course the neighbours had never explicitly wanted to prevent the construction of a refugee accommodation. In this case a “anywhere but here” mentality becomes evident, which is legitimized by referring to building regulations and environmental legislation. The neighbours have been anxious to keep up the politically correct appearances. However, they make use of racist stereotypes: locals say they have to be worried about the safety of women and children and are afraid of a rising level of crime.
We demand that the inhabitants of Blankenese break their silence and stand against racism. The neighborhood of Blankenese should defend and support the construction of the refugee accommodation. From the city of Hamburg and the “Hamburger Senat” we demand to agree to continue the formation of the refugee accommodation. Also we demand from the law court to make this possible. We will fight all racist people, no matter if they are rich or poor. We do not accept racism, antisemitism and any other inhuman ideology or worldview. We want to appear before the general public, to fight the problems of social exclusion and social marginalization connected to racism, which appearance is nothing new in Germany. On account of this, we ask the inhabitants to treat their expected neighbors, in the refugee accommodation at Björnsonweg, with respect and kindness.
We call for the stop of all deportations and we claim a decentralized, local housing and placing of refugees.
Down with Frontex!
Open the borders!
Refugees welcome – in Blankenese and everywhere else!
That's why we call you on to get together on the streets the 17.09.2016 at 2 o´clock pm at Blankenese S-Bahnhof. Show your solidarity to all the people, who come to Germany to have a better life – no matter why!
The complete and more detailed call for the demonstration is available at our blog in German language: https://harvestehude.noblogs.org/aufrufblankenese/