GA English on Sunday News in Brief from Bonn and the region

BONN/REGION · May Day demonstrations in Bonn, hearts distributed by the ‘Kvartier’ project, environmentalists call for faster E-bus conversion and a new training ground for American football at the Hardtberg - here is our news in brief on Sunday.

GA English on Sunday: News in Brief from Bonn and the region
Foto: Benjamin Westhoff

International May Alliance demonstration

BONN. The Internationalist May Alliance marched through Bonn on Saturday, with approximately 150 participants calling for a ‘rent brake’ and higher salaries for care workers. Demo organiser Jürgen Repschläger explained: “Under our motto 'No truce with Corona – Face Covering Yes - Muzzle No', it is important for the Alliance not to leave 1 May and the media attention to the Lateral Thinkers who are also demonstrating today”.

Moreover, he said there are “enough reasons” to go out on the streets especially on Labour Day, citing examples such as “the situation of wage earners and especially the care workers in the corona crisis, the discussion about the nationwide introduction of the ‘rent brake’, the underpayment of fee-based staff at music schools and adult education, and last but not least the question of who pays the costs of the pandemic. The politician from the Bonn Left faction fears that the costs of the pandemic could be passed on to the general population.

The protest march started on Endenicher Straße and travelled along the Viktoriabrücke, Hochstadenring, Vorgebirgsstraße, Maxstraße, Berliner Platz, Sterntorbrücke, Friedensplatz, Sternstraße and the Marktplatz. Afterwards, according to the organisers, around 200 people gathered in front of the Frankenbad for a demonstration. In previous years, the May Alliance held its festival in the schoolyard of the Marienschule but this year, due to the Corona protection ordinances, they moved to the Frankenbadplatz, Repschläger explained.

Twelve organisations took part in the May Day rally in the Old Town and set up information stands. According to the organiser, there were no food and drink stalls due to the pandemic.

(Original text: Niklas Schröder)

Bonn project gives away hearts to mark Rhineland May Day tradition

BONN On 1 May, many men take part in the Rhineland tradition of setting up a tree in front of their sweetheart’s home, decorated with crepe paper and bearing a red heart with the name of the girl. This year, as part of the project ‘Kvartier’, Thomas Kaup, Christopher Hieronymi and their team distributed hearts all around the city during the night before 1 May. All the hearts were sawn and decorated by hand, they said in a statement.

“The first of May without trees is just sad. So we came up with something. Anyone can take part and give their crush a heart,” said Christopher Hieronymi. The whole thing is free. Hearts could be ordered on the project website www.daskvartier.de. These were then decorated with the desired name and delivered by the first of May to their address in Bonn.

In addition, other hearts with the inscription Kvartier were also distributed. “We want to strengthen love with our campaign and make unity in Bonn visible to everyone,” explains Thomas Kaup. “The Kvartier project is mainly digital, but here we wanted to bring a completely analogue sign of love to Bonn’s streets.” The hearts were handmade by volunteers.

(Original text: buj)

Environmentalists call for faster switch to E-buses

BONN. The two Bonn climate initiatives Fridays and Parents for Future criticise the public utility company Stadtwerke Bus und Bahn (SWB) for backing away from its declared goal of converting its entire bus fleet to electric-powered vehicles by 2030. Both initiatives call on the supervisory board and its chairperson, Mayor Katja Dörner, to “correct this fateful decision”.

The SWB subsidiary stated several times in the past that it would aim for conversion by 2030. The city council and SWB supervisory board have not passed a resolution on this. The city and SWB explained upon request that a decision has now been made for a complete conversion by 2035. They cite the still small market for e-buses as the reason for the delay. SWB spokeswoman Stefanie Zießnitz explained that only zero-emission buses are to be purchased from 2024. The reconstruction of the Friesdorf depot - planned from 2024 to 2027 - would only allow 40 E-buses to be accommodated according to the current status.

(Original text: kph)

American football pitch at Hardtberg

BRÜSER BERG. Even before the pandemic, the small ash pitch at the Hardtberg school centre was rarely used. Politicians had repeatedly called for it to be renovated, but nothing happened until the Gamecocks came forward with their proposal of setting up a training ground for American football there.

The plans were finalised last year, but the city administration department did not get anywhere with a funding application to the state. Now a new proposal has been submitted to Hardtberg district council. The ground is to be converted into an artificial turf pitch for the Gamecocks: 100 by 50 metres in size, with football goals and markings. It will also be available for occasional soccer use.

Costs for the renovations are estimated at around 1.2 million Euro. The work is to be financed entirely from budgetary expenditure left over from the previous year. However, implementation can only begin once the 2021/22 budget has been passed and approved by the district government. Following its unanimous decision, Hardtberg district council has in any case set the conversion to an artificial turf pitch in motion. It is still unclear what will become of the ruined clubhouse on the site.

(Original text: Jutta Specht)

(Translations: Caroline Kusch)

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