Kalle Gerigk had announced the mourning rally that took place yesterday in front of the house Gernsheimer Straße 17 in Cologne-Ostheim. This was the home of Jouzef Berditchevski, who was shot by two police officers on 3 August 2022 when he was to be evicted and resisted.
Before the rally, an article by Andi Goral had appeared on report-k.de in the morning, which gave a different picture of the killed street musician than what had come from the other Cologne media until then. https://www.report-k.de/polizei-erschiesst-mieter-in-ostheim-er-war-koelner-strassenmusiker-und-spielte-vor-der-philharmonie/
Particularly impressive in the article by Andi Goral is the link to a “hier und heute” programme by WDR from 21.10.2021, which shows Jouzef Berditchevski at work as a street musician. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uozolRzIlqg
The applause for the various speeches also came from some flats in the house. But there were also flatmates who complained about how difficult it was to live with Jouzef Berditchevski when he had been drinking.
Kalle Gerigk openly addressed the alcoholism. In the lockdown, Jouzef Berdichevski could no longer work and crashed. In view of the disease of alcoholism, help would have been called for. Why this did not happen needs to be clarified.
All speakers agreed that there should be no more forced evictions. In view of the rising cost of living, there must not only be a rent freeze and an end to forced evictions, but also electricity blackouts must stop.
Jouzef Berdichevski had the closing words. Werner Eggert held the WDR broadcast to the microphone of the loudspeaker with his mobile phone and everyone could hear Mozart’s Kleine Nachtmusik as played by Jouzef Berdichevski on his xylophone in front of the Philharmonie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uozolRzIlqg
7 August 2022
Klaus Jünschke
