IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire
On Sunday, a trans*inter* queer community and health centre on Naunynstrasse, Kreuzberg, was searched by police. According to police, the raid was prompted by suspicions of illegal trafficking of prescription drugs. Hormone therapies for people were allegedly being carried out without medical supervision.
According to its operators, the Casa Kuà project advocates for what it considers better access to healthcare for transgender, intersex, non-binary and queer people. The project describes itself as viewing the German healthcare system as discriminatory and aims to combine traditional and conventional treatments. Casa Kuà also operates as a space for queer BIPOC and trans people affected by psychiatry and psychiatric violence.
Following the police action, approximately 140 people spontaneously gathered for a demonstration. At the demonstration, themed ‘Hormones for All’, clashes broke out between participants and police officers. Furthermore, participants expressed their discontent verbally, chanting slogans. Additional officers from the regional unit and a riot squad were called in to provide support.
Later, participants in the assembly attempted to forcibly open a lowered privacy screen on the outside of the building. They were pushed back by police. One person was issued a dispersal order. Berlin’s Queer Commissioner, Alfonso Pantisano, was also present.
During the search, police seized numerous prescription medications and narcotics, data storage devices, and a four-figure sum of cash, according to their own statement. The evaluation of the evidence and the investigation are ongoing and are being conducted by the Berlin public prosecutor’s office.