Almost two weeks ago, around 20 people were thrown out of the Lager at #Bornitzstr102. Many people will think, that is a bitter pill to swallow but things will go back to normal.
The thing is that there is nothing normal about living in a Lager. After the company moved the people to the “new” renovated floors upstairs, after taking several months to do it, after squashing the people for several months in less rooms promising them they would all stay, the fact is that they didn’t even accomplish the so-called renovations, the promised kitchens for the families are closed. Where are they cooking and how?
I’m still in contact with some of the people, so more conversations have been going on, from trying to reach the 8-10 people to whom the police opened a case, but having no success and wondering if they are aware that is important that they get advise before handling or accepting whatever letter comes from the police.
But not all the talks go around their situation in Germany, life didn’t start here. Through these talks come the memories of home, where all the cooking is house made, where all the fruits and vegetables are directly grown by them or some family member,”supermarkets are not the places where we buy fresh food”. The aromas of house-made food seeps in the room for a moment. Then I asked “what do you think will happen with the war on Syria?”, a couple of seconds pause and the answer comes “the war will not stop. There are too many interests. All are small groups divided, wanting power and greedy. Also now is not longer only about Syria, is a world war”. Nothing to say. We continue with small memories of things happening some years ago. “When I moved to Aleppo people thought that in the East (where I come from) we didn’t have anything, schools, electricity, can you imagine?”. The East of Syria is actually where the oil is, so is it not everything about oil?
At some point the conversation ended up with, “you know what is a fact, now we don’t have the “privilege” to be able to go back home. That’s the difference between Syrians and other nations, everything is destroyed, we have no home where to go back to.” Now everyday, he has to deal with this feeling, but even though “it’s not yet time to mourn our dead, the day will come when we cry for them, now we have to continue”.
All these words, stuck into my brain, left me thoughtful, while going back home. Automatically I entered in the ubahn, all the words popping in and out, images, aromas, at some point I saw a figure, which I thought I recognized, but there was something that made me not sure, still words coming and going while trying to focus in the face I was looking at. Suddenly a smile appeared, “hey”, so I thought “ok, I was right I know him” and directly I sited by his side. he had some ugly marks around his eyes, his eyes were red, sparkling as if they had been in tears, “what happened?” I asked, “6 people just beat me up“, astonished I answered “Whatttt?”, “yes, they asked me where are you from? From Syria”, and then the group started beating him up, in the head, the face, the legs, the arms, he had everything in pain. “Half an hour ago, I was crying like a little boy” he said with half smile. “Where? Who?” and really could not come out of the state fo the previous conversation, when I met this young guy, also staying in the same Lager. “They sprayed me with pepper spray. Do you smell it?” For a second I was tempted to say yes, but actually I didn’t smell anything, which proofs nothing since my nose is not very sensitive. Then he took something out of his pocket “Look, I also have pepper spray but I didn’t even have the time to take my hand out of the pocket, everything happened very quickly”
The only thing I managed to say, with some sense was “do you have where to spend the night or a couple of days?” “Yes, I’ll stay at a German’s friend. I just want to take a shower and sleep.” Then I suggested that he had to talk with some group Reachout or Rote-hilfe, to denounce the aggression. It can not go unpunished, “I just want to forget, I don’t want to be near the police”, “you don’t need to talk to the police, just talk with any of these groups so they can help and advise you or at least, they can document the aggressions that are taking place, to create awareness.
He kept silence, thinking “my friend will help me, now I just want to get to Kreuzberg, is the safe zone.”