The gay and lesbian club “Busche” has been in Berlin for 40 years. The owner sees its future threatened – by a new refugee home on the other side of the street. That’s why she wrote an open letter to the Governing Mayor Kai Wegner (50, CDU).
The “Busche” was founded in 1985 on Buschallee (Weißensee), and has resided on Warsaw Square (Friedrichshain) since 2004. Two dance floors, the audience also comes from Brandenburg. Now operator Carla Pahlau is thinking about giving up.
Reason: In the next few weeks, a refugee home for up to 650 people will be opened in a former hostel directly opposite the club. The asylum seekers come from Turkey, Afghanistan and Syria. “We were only informed about the opening of the home a week ago,” says Pahlau to the BZ
She worries about her guests – they would be afraid. “In the last few months, the number of crimes against homosexuals in Berlin has increased enormously,” said Pahlau in her letter to Wegner. “The vast majority of offenders are migrants with a Muslim background.” According to the justice administration, however, no data is collected on the religious affiliation of the offenders.
If there are conflicts with her guests after the opening of the home, it’s over for Pahlau. “Then the club will not be able to continue to exist.”
Are the club operator’s concerns justified? The Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district office refused to answer the question to the BZ, social administration and queer officer Alfonso Pantisano (49) did not even answer.
“We consider the decision for this location to be a catastrophe,” said the two CDU MPs Kurt Wansner (75) and Timur Husein (42) to the BZ Not only because of the proximity to the “Busche”, the two politicians emphasize. “The proximity to the Matrix disco and the crime-ridden area of Warsaw Bridge as well as the drug hotspots RAW Gelände and Görlitzer Park will also lead to massive upheaval in the Rudolf-Kiez. There will be a massive increase in crime.” Wansner and Husein continue: “We therefore call on the responsible Senate administration not to open this location.”
https://taketonews.com/berlin-gay-club-worried-about-refugee-home/