Update:

Dear friends, family, comrades, colleagues and community,

We are overwhelmed with gratitude for the people who read, donated to and shared our fundraiser.

Seeing our community show up and out for this cause in this time of immense dread has been deeply moving and affirming. It’s making it possible for our friend to regain a sense of agency, to catch up with their bureaucratic issues and move forward with hope.

We need to mention that the ultimate goal of this fundraiser is 14K. We chose the automatic goal adjustment by GFM when setting it up, which changes the goal relative to the funds received. We appreciate your further donations and sharing.

In solidarity,

Jelly & S

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Dear friends, family and community,

We are friends of S, a queer m i ddl 3 east 3rn artist based in Berlin. They came to Germany in 2017 to attend their fine art studies at Städelschule, where they graduated in September 2024.

We are keeping this fundraiser anonymous for familial and legal security and safety reasons - more outlined below.

Since arriving in Germany, S worked multiple jobs alongside their studies, one of which being a temp as guest liaison at Berlinale. At this position, early 2024, in their second year of working at the festival, they expressed solidarity with P4 lestine in an internal professional email, which they signed with ‘From the river to the sea, Pal3 stin e will be free’. At the time S could not have predicted what followed: the KBB, the managing directors behind Berlinale and other Berlin Cultural Institutions, cowardly reported S to the German Police. This resulted in not only a court case against them but also a 1200 EUR fine, a suspended residency permit and a threat of getting deported by the Ausländerbehörde.

These circumstances led to S being unable to secure contract work, leading to extreme financial precarity while being stuck in a legal limbo, waiting for a court date that remains unknown. We are raising funds to help cover their living expenses, legal fees, medical costs, and potential relocation in case they are forced to leave Germany.

The gravity of the above situation, including a real possibility of forced relocation, paired with a medical circumstance they are facing is a burden insurmountable on one person - let’s stand together and ensure S is not left to navigate this hellscape alone.

For transparency, as much as their complex situation and its security constraints allow, this is a rough outline of what the funds will go towards: Their rent incl. bills is 400€, their groceries, insurances, phone bills, current medical expenses for a chronic illness as well as work supplies come to 600€. On top of that their transportation costs and day to day spending come to 200€, coming to a total of 1200€ they need for immediate survival per month. Their current legal fees are a 1200€ fine and at least 2000€ of lawyer fees. The medical situation they are facing requires €6150, including travel to a location where treatment is more affordable, due to them previously losing their German public health insurance.

They are not out to their family and could face arrest, criminal punishment and imprisonment by their home country if publicly out as queer. S has been politically active for both the P a l 3stinian cause as well as for jin* jiyan azadi and a deportation to their country of birth would mean a serious threat to their safety, security and wellbeing.

We as friends and comrades of S understand the impact we lose in keeping this fundraiser anonymous. If you wish to know more about the specificity of their situation, are able to help or would like to see proof, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the beneficiary of this fundraiser. For a full outline of the situation S was put in by being reported to the Police by Berlinale, refer to Strike Germany’s post on the matter. Please consider contributing if you can afford it - if not please share with your network, every little does help in this incredibly difficult time.