EL

A few years ago, during an ongoing conflict between the police and activists over the eviction of a left-wing cultural center, the police made up an attack on a Hamburg police station by radicals. It turned out to be entirely false, but during the months that followed, “dangerous zone” laws were installed in Hamburg, giving the police more rights to stop and frisk and terrorize migrant communities in particular.

The story goes that during one of these stops, a toilet brush was confiscated from someone. It became a symbol of resistance to these “dangerous zone” laws unique to Hamburg. (Later, the laws were found unconstitutional by a German court.)

Leading up to the G20 summit, we anticipate a broad attack on civil liberties. Many people are rightly worried, since the police chief for the G20 protests is known for hating the Left and applying unconstitutional tactics against them.

The toothbrush is a symbol to remind us of how we reclaimed the city with a toothbrush. We hope it will encourage and remind all of us: this is not the time to stay on your couch and mourn the state of the world. It’s the time to unite in our struggles and take to the streets. We urgently need to organize and mobilize a global opposition. We come prepared; should the police arrest us, we’ll have our toothbrushes in jail.

For anyone considering coming, there will be protest camps to stay in inexpensively, we’ll provide English translation and legal info. And there will be tons of international guests. If you’ve ever thought about visiting Germany, now’s the time.