Political pressure from the US is likely to have been the trigger for GLS Bank and Sparkasse Göttingen closing the accounts of the left-wing solidarity organization Rote Hilfe in mid-December. The background to this is that the US government has classified the group, also referred to in the media as “Antifa Ost,” as a terrorist organization and placed it on a sanctions list. Rote Hilfe shows solidarity with anti-fascists who are being persecuted and imprisoned in connection with the so-called “Antifa Ost.” Apparently, the banks saw this as a risk and therefore decided to terminate their business relationships in order to avoid possible sanctions from the US against themselves.

During December, numerous other cases came to light in which banks closed accounts belonging to left-wing organizations and individuals or refused to open new ones. Among those affected were environmental organizations, an association supporting the work of the Anarchist Black Cross Dresden, the DKP party, and committed individuals. In addition to GLS, Ethikbank, Umweltbank, and Deutsche Bank were also involved. These developments represent a political attack on the left-wing infrastructure in Germany! Without bank accounts, it becomes nearly impossible for organizations to manage membership fees and donations or to pay running costs such as rent, legal fees, and personnel expenses.

Within just a few weeks, a worrying trend has emerged: more and more left-wing actors are being excluded from the banking system. It remains unclear whether this is just the beginning and which other organizations or individuals could be affected. This unprecedented development hinders the work of thousands of committed individuals, jeopardizes the livelihoods of those affected, and constitutes a serious infringement on political freedom of expression and association.

These developments are particularly alarming for trade unionists. On the one hand, it affects Rote Hilfe, an organization that has been linked to trade unions in solidarity for years. It supports colleagues who are affected by occupational bans or who are subjected to police and prosecutorial repression because of their activism. In addition, Rote Hilfe deals with union busting and reprisals against active employees, works councils, and trade unions—it is not without reason that many trade unionists are members themselves.

On the other hand, the current repressive measures, which also include so-called “debanking,” have so far been directed against radical left-wing organizations, the climate movement, anti-fascists, and particularly active trade unionists. However, in view of authoritarian developments, it cannot be ruled out that other left-wing organizations and trade unions will also be targeted in the future.

Call to action

In light of these developments, we call on our members, as well as all union activists and supporters, to take action:

• Talk to your coworkers, union representatives, and other union members about the attacks on Rote Hilfe and other left-wing organizations. Informing and raising awareness is an important first step.
  
• Now more than ever, become a member of Rote Hilfe and encourage others to join too. You can find more information here: https://rote-hilfe.de/aktiv-werden/mitglied-werden
  
• If you are already a member, please switch from standing order to direct debit to facilitate the work of Rote Hilfe under the current conditions.
  
• Show your solidarity with Rote Hilfe and other left-wing organizations affected by account closures—whether through statements, actions, or contributions within your union structures.
  
• Contact GLS Bank and make your criticism and concerns about these account closures clear.

Only through joint, united action can we effectively counter these attacks on left-wing organizations and trade union activism.

More information:

Website: https://debankingstoppen.de/
Telegram: https://t.me/debankingstoppen
Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@debankingstoppen
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/debankingstoppen