Berlin clubbers protest closures with road rave

Residents, clubbers and climate activists in the German capital Berlin transformed a primary city highway into a rave party on Saturday in opposition to the impending A100 road extension, a project that potentially threatens a number of popular nightclubs.

Berlin authorities gave demonstrators permission to turn a 1-kilometer stretch of the motorway into an outdoor dancefl oor, disrupting traffic all afternoon and into the evening with music from impromptu stages, reported the BBC.

The city's influential nightlife scene, including notable clubs like About Blank, Wilde Renate, Else, Oxi, Void and Club Ost, would be under threat from the proposed six-lane highway expansion.

The Berlin Clubcommission, one of the protest organizers, said in a statement that the motorway extension would run through nightlife areas where there are about 21 cultural institutions, including cinemas, clubs and bars.

Germany's Transport Minister Volker Wissing, along with Berlin's Mayor Kai Wegner, intends to extend the A100 motorway to address the city's expanding population and increased car ownership.

They believe the extension, which it is estimated will cost 1 billion euros ($1.09 billion), will divert traffic around the city center.

"It would be a complete nightmare. It makes me so sad and angry," said one regular clubber named Selina.

"So much of Berlin's culture would be lost. It's just not necessary to have a motorway in the center of the city. We have such good public transport."

The protest was not solely about the potential closure of the clubs, but also about environmental concern, said Amperia, a DJ from About Blank who performed at the rave.

"The highway would bring extreme noise and pollution to the city. Honestly, this is going to harm everybody. It's a nonsense project no matter how you look at it."

The activists highlight research that suggests additional roads only encourage increased vehicle usage, and say that the proposed extension into eastern Berlin would exacerbate the city center's congestion. Instead, they propose the vast sum be invested in public transport, bike paths, and footpath enhancements.

"Most people my age in Berlin think it's a really stupid idea," said Clara, a 21-year-old student and spokesperson for Fridays For Future, an environmental movement.

"This is the most expensive motorway project in Germany. For that money, you could build a bicycle lane from Berlin to Beijing. It's completely insane to invest in this project."

The protest epitomizes an ideological divide in Berlin, with conservative factions favoring road improvements and more rights for drivers, while green and left-wing advocates argue this counters climate change eff orts and promotes car use against global trends, said the BBC report.

"This battle represents the tensions in the city and within German politics," said Elisabeth Steffen, spokesperson for the About Blank nightclub. "It's a fight between progressives forces and some old white men in suits who still have not accepted that it is a diff erent time now and that they need to build cities for the people who live in them."