Overview

• On May 31 activists occupied a vacant former Stasi canteen and adjacent prefabricated buildings in Ruschestraße, Berlin-Lichtenberg, to protest budget cuts by the Berlin Senate.
• They target Senate plans to demolish the canteen for a new office building despite more than 1.5 million square meters of empty office space in Berlin.
• Activists accuse the property owner of speculation and neglecting 15 years of community appeals for social, cultural and memorial uses of the site.
• Berlin police have confirmed the presence of occupants on the premises and are conducting an ongoing assessment of the situation.
• The group outlined plans to transform the space into a neighborhood café, repair workshop and meeting points for local residents.