Technical University of Berlin Allows Contested Youth Congress After AfD Pushback

The left‑wing youth congress “Take back the Future”, organized by the Socialist‑Democratic Student Association (SDS) and Students Against Right, was scheduled for 12‑14 June at the Technical University of Berlin. About 750‑1,500 participants had registered.

The AfD sought to block the event, prompting the university to demand the removal of 14 programme items. After negotiations, the university agreed to drop four talks dealing with the party’s eastern election campaigns, with plans to relocate them elsewhere. Organisers say a lawyer close to the AfD threatened legal action over the university’s political‑neutrality requirement, which the SDS alleges is a tactic to silence leftist debate. University officials reiterated their commitment to keep partisan disputes off campus while allowing the adjusted programme to proceed.

The organisers declared they had remained steadfast despite the pressure, and the congress will go ahead with the revised schedule.