Berlin protesters demand better healthcare access for trans people

Hundreds of people gathered at Mariannenplatz in Berlin to demonstrate under the slogan ‘Hands off trans lives!’. The protest was held in solidarity with the queer center ‘Casa Kuà’ and the transfeminine group ‘The Dolls’ following police raids at the center last week.

Authorities conducted searches at ‘Casa Kuà’ amid suspicions of illegal trade involving prescription hormone preparations for transgender individuals. Police reportedly seized prescription medications, narcotics, data carriers, and a four-figure amount of cash.

Critics, including Maik Brückner of the Left Party, have described the raids as ‘shameful’ and pointed to regulatory gaps in the German healthcare system that make it difficult for transgender people to obtain hormone treatments through standard medical practices and insurance coverage. The Bundesverband Trans* also characterized the raid as an alarming sign regarding self-organized healthcare provision.