Squatting | "Internationalist Center" founded in Frankfurt's Gallus district

"They're lovely people, write something good," commented an employee of a shop directly adjacent to the Internationalist Center (IZ), which opened with the occupation of a vacant space in Frankfurt's Gallusviertel district on Saturday . Two of his customers asked with interest what the pavilions, beer tent furniture, Palestinian flags, and many people were all about in front of the former shop next door. They were pleased that an event on Germany's role in the genocide in Gaza was taking place there. While Germany earns a lot of money from arms exports to Israel, the consensus in the discussion was that prosperity in this country could be better secured through other means.

Occupant Theo also reports positive reactions from the neighborhood. Many people are bringing food and drinks, happy that the place is being used and revitalized again. The activists are a collective consisting of migrant and internationalist left-wing groups and individuals. They want to create a space for solidarity-based community work as well as internationalist education and organizing. Established left-wing structures have failed, particularly with regard to Palestine and Israel, and new spaces are needed.

"The dominance and relevance of anti-German groups may be declining, but they are the ones who have access to spaces, the ones with resources and money. After almost two years of genocide, we need a space where we can finally have an open discourse about Palestine," explains Theo. Another occupier adds that Café Kurzschlusz, another self-managed space , was recently shut down by the university administration. Open discourse about Palestine is also not possible at Goethe University, as demonstrated by the university's cancellation of the conference "Talking About (the Silencing of) Palestine" in January.

The occupation is therefore primarily a means to an end. "We don't want to entrench ourselves behind it," Theo continued. Instead, being rooted in the neighborhood is key. Internationalist issues concern most people in Gallus, a district with a high immigrant population, anyway—they just lack the space for exchange. According to the occupiers, many events have so far been attended by an audience that is largely white, educated, and student-oriented.

The Gallus already housed an International Center (also abbreviated to IZ) until 2023; it was an important space, especially for migrant groups. However, due to rising rents, the operators had to close the space. The new ones maintain a good working relationship with the "old" IZ.

After the occupation was announced, it took more than two hours for the police to arrive on the scene – apparently, no one in the neighborhood had considered it necessary to inform them. When the officers finally arrived, the occupiers were already in talks with the owners: the City of Frankfurt and the city's representative, Sylvia Weber (SPD), the head of the building department. She granted the collective temporary toleration. An inspection of the premises by the Office for Building and Real Estate is scheduled for the coming days. The members of the collective are looking forward to this inspection with confidence: The premises were in very good condition at the time of the occupation, and fire extinguishers and smoke detectors had already been installed.

The content-based work at the new IZ seems to be well received; the small event space has been packed for previous events. Residents of the building's upper floors have also made an appearance several times, according to the collective. In addition to events on Palestine, the first week's program also includes reports on the fighting in Western Sahara, Egypt, and Kenya.

The occupiers hope that Frankfurt's politicians will recognize their work and allow them to use the spaces long-term: "We want to show the city that we have a concept for this space: a vision of how our work will integrate into the district."