Kirche von Unten Cancels Event by fluid.vision over Fundraising for Internationalist Queer Pride Berlin

On May 29, 2024, Kirche von Unten (KvU) canceled Fluidity, an event organized by queer collective fluid.vision that included a fundraiser for Internationalist Queer Pride (IQP) Berlin. Originally scheduled on June 2, 2024, the KvU decided it could not support a fundraiser for the IQP due to “the anti-Semitic incidents at IQP in the last three years” and “the cooperation [of the IQP] with groups such as ‘Palestine speaks’ and ‘Berlin against Pinkwashing.’”

In a statement on Facebook and Instagram posted on May 29, 2024 in English and German, the KvU stated they were “unable to agree with Fluid Vision [sic] on a different donation target or a common view of the issue.” They also highlighted that “statements such as ‘from river to the sea’” were unacceptable to them as they called into question Israel’s right to exist, “and in some cases for Israel to be wiped out.” They explained that “cooperation with groups that celebrate or justify the actions of Hamas is out of the question for us” and expressed their sympathy “with all victims of this conflict in Gaza and Israel.”

fluid.vision posted a response on Facebook and Instagram on May 30, 2024, where they highlighted the “last minute” cancellation, asserting that the KvU “knew about the Soli cause [sic] from the very beginning.” They expressed discontent with the KvU’s “intentional lack of communication, impossible ultimatums, last-minute cancellation, and defamation of [them] on their social media.”

Fluidity was finally held on June 2, 2024, at Lark, following a GoFundMe campaign to cover the additional venue costs. The event had two workshops on the topic of resistance – Organizing Queer Resistance from fluid.vision and IQP and Demo Rights and Repression Awareness – alongside DJ sets and performances.
Founded in 1987, KvU emerged from a church congress held alongside the official 1987 Protestant Church Congress in East Berlin and developed into one of the most important activity centers of left-wing opposition in the GDR. Following the fall of the Berlin Wall, KvU evolved into a political and social project. Describing itself as a "cross-generational leisure facility" and a "testing ground" for ideas, KvU claims to offer "space for political discourse” while rejecting “sexist, racist, anti-Semitic, fascist, homophobic and any kind of discriminatory behavior.”

fluid.vision is a queer collective with the goal of creating new rave experiences in Berlin. They place special emphasis on the creation of safe environments for LGBTQIA+, FLINTA, and BIPOC groups in Berlin by organizing events with queer DJs, artists, performers, and educators. According to fluid.vision, this cancellation was part of “a series of cancellations of cultural events even just remotely linked to Palestine.” They stated that with the drastically increasing repression from the government, “we need to stand together and create safer places for marginalized groups.”