on left-wing club culture and the state of the gaza war

of hostile projections, boycott dynamics and peer pressure

I
in mid-april, unknown persons painted a red triangle on the facade of ://about blank - a hostile marking by suspected hamas sympathizers. this threat was the culmination of a series of graffiti, feces throwing and other physical attacks, including with butyric acid, against ://about blank that has continued for months, fueled by incitement, insults and lies on social media. other left-wing venues have also been subjected to such attacks for months for supposedly having the wrong position within the context of the israel-palestine conflict. the effects of these attacks are very distressing for everyone who works, plays and organizes events at ://about blank and have reached an unprecedented scale: psychological strain to the point of burnout, being threatened or insulted at work and the constant feeling of being pushed instead of being free to shape things. events dedicated to the massacre at supernova festival or that deal with antisemitism in the cultural sphere can only take place with increased security.
we have therefore decided to reject the circulating labels, narratives and false allegations, as well as the massive attempts to intimidate and silence us. publishing this statement at this point in time was preceded by a months-long discussion process within the club and with event organizers here.

II
the collective behind ://about blank comes from the radical left in germany and has repeatedly experienced the destructive force that the debate about the israeli-palestinian conflict can develop within left-wing and subcultural structures. with this in mind and in the realization that this conflict and its history are too complex to take sides clearly and unequivocally, we have always refrained from one-sidedly condemning israel. however, because we have taken a stand, among other things, against antisemitism in its various forms and against prominent boycott campaigns, we are repeatedly labeled as “pro-israeli” or “zionist”. in doing so, false allegations are deliberately put out into the world and spread. for example, it is claimed that we support the netanyahu government, the religious-right extremist settler movement or the devastating acts of war in gaza. these attributions are false and lack any basis. such insinuations are intended to justify the fact that ://about blank has been on the usual boycott and enemy lists for several years. people who work, dj or organize events at ://about blank are being put under massive pressure by unknown people on social media, but also within their social circles, and attacked as “zionists”, “fascists” or “white supremacists” because of this propaganda. there are also an increasing number of threats and insults both outside and inside the club.

III
since it was founded more than fourteen years ago, ://about blank has considered itself a left-wing, inclusive, queer-feminist, anti-racist, anti-fascist and antisemitism-critical club with a uniform wage and a solidarity-based economy. ://about blank is currently run by a collective of ten people who make decisions by consensus. the crew consists of over a hundred people. the musical and non-musical programme is largely shaped by numerous external promoters who organize parties for and with their communities. a central motive for founding the club was to bring together left-wing, subcultural and club-cultural scenes and to create a political space musically rooted in the techno scene. the monthly solidarity parties and fundraising events for anti-racist, feminist and anti-fascist initiatives and aid organizations as well as for refugees and people in need are a politically visible expression of this. the numerous workshops and networking meetings of political initiatives are usually less visible. within the club, flinta* (women, lesbians, intersex, non-binary, trans and agender people) are promoted to positions where they are still (heavily) underrepresented in the club scene. to this end, conventional gender role clichés, structures and approaches to work are constantly being questioned and changed in many places, e.g. at the door, in the booking team and among the technicians. people with a history of migration or flight, people with experiences of racism, queerphobia or transphobia, autonomists, feminists, so-called gut leftists, humanists and people who do not describe themselves as political but have their hearts in the right place all work and party at ://about blank.

IV
perspectives on the israel-palestine conflict and its complex history vary widely within our crew and among the promoters who organize events at ://about blank. there are also different views on the current situation and the share of responsibility, the options for a solution and the demands on the warring parties. since our statement about october 7th, there have been internal discussions and an exchange with promoters who organize events at ://about blank about the appropriate stance on the war. with the increase in attacks against ://about blank, the exchange about the effects of the boycott, last-minute dj cancellations, drastic accusations and the aggressive dynamics on social media has also become more urgent. from month to month, it has become more difficult to host events at our venue because the external pressure makes it increasingly impossible to concentrate on an artistic programme. finding the right strategy to deal with these attacks against the club has also been on the agenda ever since. some would like ://about blank, without changing anything regarding our stance on antisemitism and in view of the devastation in gaza, to make an explicit statement on the nature of israel's warfare. in our 2021 faq, we explained in detail why we at ://about blank do not take a position on the actual israel-palestine conflict, but rather limit ourselves to antisemitic projections in left-wing and club-cultural discourse. we can therefore by no means speak with a unified voice for all those who work or organize events at ://about blank. what unites us is the will to discuss and endure these different perspectives – to which solidarity parties organized for those affected in gaza and israel by crews such as toys, blank with benefits, supernature and moving the needle are testament. and we continue to insist that it is possible and, from an antifascist point of view, necessary to show solidarity and empathy with israeli and palestinian victims as well as with muslim and jewish people without having to choose sides.
if you would like to find out more about our position on the israel-palestine conflict and contemporary antisemitism, you are cordially invited to visit faq.

V
almost a year has passed since hamas’ attacks against israel on october 7th, 2023, but the horror has not subsided and there is no end in sight to the violence and trauma. the civilian population in gaza is defencelessly at the mercy of the asymmetrical warfare between the israeli army and the islamist hamas. tens of thousands of people have been killed in gaza since then and many more have been injured and displaced. the living conditions of the people in gaza are catastrophic, large parts of the gaza strip have been destroyed and safe escape routes do not exist. at the same time, over a hundred israeli hostages are still being held captive in gaza and israeli villages are being evacuated to protect against rocket fire.
none of this can be a cause for joy, a consolation, a moment of triumph for the left. it is nothing but the horrible, deadly reality and logic of war and its destructive, military force – the opposite of any emancipatory desire. our sympathy, our compassion and our hope for a better world go out to all the innocent people who are suffering and dying in this terrible war. our political solidarity goes out to all those who are endeavoring to alleviate the suffering on the ground, who continue to work for a peaceful solution and to foster relationships based on solidarity, and who thus cling to the utopia of coexistence.

VI
since october 7th, a wave of antisemitic incidents has been rolling through germany, threatening jews and blaming them for the bellicose actions of the ultra-right israeli government and attacking them for it. antisemitism and hostility towards jews have risen sharply. there has been no solidarity with the victims of october 7th and the supernova festival, neither in society at large nor within the club culture scene nor on the left. many israelis and palestinians living here, as well as german jews and muslims, fear an expansion of the war. they fear for friends and relatives on the ground, in the west bank, in lebanon, forced to flee. at the same time, muslims, people with a migration background and many who campaign for an end to the war are increasingly exposed to racist discrimination, blanket condemnation and state repression, often under the pretext of combating antisemitism. the extent and severity of state measures and the agitation of right-wing media and parties are unmistakably characterised by anti-muslim racism, which they have popularised. and attacks against perceived and real muslims have increased accordingly since october 7th.
simultaneously rejecting and combating antisemitic and racist positions often seems unthinkable to many - even though this should be a core component of left-wing politics.

VII
the debates surrounding the current war in gaza are leading to increasing polarization within the entire club scene. in view of israeli warfare and the numerous civilian victims in gaza, many people feel the need to take a clear and effective public stance. alongside the understandable expressions of sympathy, concern and solidarity, israel is often demonized and in some cases denied the right to exist. numerous openly anti-israel and antisemitic statements glorify, justify or welcome the massacre of october 7th and the terror of hamas. the denial and relativization of the massive sexualised violence perpetrated by hamas is particularly disturbing - even in circles that see themselves as progressive and queer-feminist. there is often a general reluctance to engage with antisemitism. recognising suffering, fears and anxieties on all sides and not offsetting them is lost in mutual accusations of selective empathy. the club-cultural spaces in which many jews feel welcome and safe have become rare. everywhere paths are separating and threads of dialogue are breaking: artists, clubs and collectives that refuse to take a clear position “against israel” are exposed to increasingly drastic calls for boycotts, as well as insults and threats. the effects on (left-wing) club culture and the individuals concerned are destructive, intimidating and anti-emancipatory. this makes constructive, open and respectful dialogue impossible. it is therefore urgently necessary for institutions and activists from the left and the club culture scene to call out and reject aggressive behavior and defamation campaigns instead of allowing themselves to be taken in by them.

VIII
right-wing extremist and nationalist parties are on the rise in germany and across europe. in germany, the afd is threatening to become stronger than ever. many of its positions have long since found their way into legislation against migration and refugees and into the manifestos of democratic parties. agitators and racists on the far right and from the centre of society in particular are pushing images of a certain enemy and escalating the discourse. their vision of an authoritarian europe of isolation is just as racist and misanthropic as their commitment against antisemitism is implausible and instrumental. effective left-wing and civil society alliances against right-wing hegemony require joint debates and discussions without intimidation and hostility. this requires spaces to come together, negotiate and organise - and also to party together. it is precisely these spaces that are currently threatened by rifts and attacks - this applies not only to ://about blank but also to spaces and structures such as the ifz and conne island in leipzig, the rote flora in hamburg and the fusion festival. all those who care about preserving these spaces are invited and encouraged to join us in looking for ways out of the current barrenness.

://about blank kollektiv, september 2024