Several Black climate justice activists invited by the Black Academy assaulted physically and emotionally by a German police unit on the 27th of April 2023 in the flat where they were staying in Manheim
On April 27, special guests of the Black Academy, who had come from various African countries to Mannheim, Germany to work on projects on climate change and the visibility of black activists, suffered physical and psychological violence at the hands of a German police unit.
They were woken up on the morning of 27 April by a special German police force composed of more than 15 men, who burst into the flat where they were staying, wearing gargoyles on their faces, ballistic protection and guns like in an episode of Cobra Alert or Terrorist Alert.
Our guests did not even have time to get dressed or put on their shoes. They were instructed to leave the flat while the police searched the flat. The police tied them up, and so tight that some of them started to bleed. They were left in that state for several hours in the winter-like freezing temperatures of the last few days. All this took place in a public space and in plain sight of passing people. After a fruitless search of their flat, the police left them free.
The Black Academy team is appalled. It is often believed that police racial violence only occurs in the United States and is far away from us.
It was with horror that we were reminded of what many black and Afro-descendant people keep shouting,
“In Germany too, we can’t breathe”!
We invite you to join us in saying no to police violence and accompanying these young people whose short stay in Mannheim has turned into a nightmare.
Various independent groups have come together to show their solidarity. Unfortunately, as we are still in shock and already overwhelmed with calls and procedures, we kindly ask you to refrain from individual phone calls to the team members and to use this email address instead if you wish to support us in any way: solidarity@black-academy.org
We are still waiting for more details on these events and will inform you immediately on our various social networks.
Thank you very much,
Your Black Academy Team
