Claudia Roth criticizes Berlin CDU over Volksbad affair

Claudia Roth, Vice President of the Bundestag, has sharply criticized the Berlin CDU and Governing Mayor Kai Wegner regarding the ‘Volksbad affair’. The controversy arose after a Berlin theater and the association ‘Each One Teach One’ (Eoto) canceled an event at a temporary swimming pool set up in front of the Volksbühne due to security concerns. The event was originally intended to be open exclusively to Black people, specifically children and youth.

Following the cancellation, AfD leader Alice Weidel characterized the planned event as ‘apartheid’ and called for the withdrawal of funding. Roth accused the CDU of adopting a ‘culture war’ rather than opposing it, stating that Wegner’s silence allows hostility against specific social groups to continue unchecked. She argued that failing to distance oneself from right-wing agitation for political convenience makes parties ‘apologists’ for forces seeking to divide society.

Eoto reported receiving racist threats, including emails and violent warnings, following the incident. The controversy also included criticism from a local CDU politician who expressed feelings of discrimination regarding the event's racial exclusivity.