Program 2026
Spinnerei – in the Anstadt Tent (Saturdays and Sundays from 4:00–6:00 PM)
Spinnerei is a discussion space within the Abolish program for anyone who needs a short break when there’s too much going on—but still wants to get back into the swing of things. Here, experiences are spun into stories, what’s been heard is unpacked, thoughts are shared, and together we pick up a common thread that sometimes takes surprising turns. We ask questions, laugh, and play—without any fear of getting tangled up in our own ball of yarn.
As an ongoing format during Abolish, Spinnerei regularly brings people together in small groups—appropriate topics and settings are chosen based on needs and interests. Round after round, new threads are knotted, existing connections are spun further, and the network is densified—with the goal of creating a resilient network in the long term.
What Does Abolition Mean Today? Visibility, Representation, and the Politics of the Possible
The lecture combines political urgency with a cultural studies perspective and opens up a space in which abolition can be negotiated as an open, dynamic, and collective project.
The lecture will be followed by a moderated group discussion in which key questions will be reflected upon and discussed together.
The lecture will be held in English.
Saturday 23 MAY
Childcare from 12:30 - 17:30
Spinnerei from 16:00-18:00
Solidarity dinner 18:00
With: Medina, Inaya Bern, Inaya Solidinner, Potpourri1312, Tattoo Circus Bern, Infoladen Borke, Besuchsgruppe Eschenhof/Gampelen, Bewegung für den Sozialismus Bern, Raaupe, OpenBordersCaravan
The starting point is in the vacuum; registration is open until 16:45.
Underground Capacity Building: Practice & Maneuvers
badr
*(MENA = Middle East and North Africa)
Sunday 24 MAY
Childcare from 10:00 - 15:00
Spinnerei from 16:00-18:00
Solidarity dinner 18:00
But we cannot and will not accept this. In this workshop, we want to work together to identify the options for resistance available to us in the various “phases” of a deportation: when facing the threat of deportation, in detention pending deportation, during the deportation process, and afterward. The workshop will begin with a short presentation on deportation practices in Switzerland.
The workshop will be facilitated by members of anti-deportation detention groups in Bern and Basel and is open to people with and without experience in this area. The goal is to pool questions and knowledge and then make them available as a handout.
Structurally, we distinguish between: What can I do in the moment when I suspect that I have crossed a boundary? What can I do in the moment when I am confronted about it? What can I do if I realize that my behavior is recurring? What long- and medium-term approaches are available? The workshop primarily covers the basics of transformative justice and creates a space where questions can be asked without judgment.
CN: The workshop is not primarily about sexualized violence but about all kinds of boundary violations and how they relate to structural violence. Sexualized violence is explicitly addressed only in the final part and with the consent of all participants.
Workshop with registration (max. 20 people)
Register at: quarantimes@riseup.net
With Thomas
https://breakdownthewalls.site36.net/
Based on two real-life examples, participants will work in small groups after an initial presentation, and then reconvene as a large group to share any findings, ideas, and insights.
Abolish Soliparty
RUNNING ORDER OUTSIDE
18.00 - 19.15 Nidor (Digtatrack / Fribourg)
19.15 -20.30 DJ Aunty (Sirens of Lesbos / Bern)
20.30 - 21.15 : Melissa Kassab (Geneva), concert
21.15 - 22.15 : 7EMA (Bern), concert
22.15 - 00.00: Leila Moon (Radio Alhara / Basel)
RUNNING ORDER CLUB INSIDE
22:00 - 22:30 Azad & Selam (Basel), concert
22:30 - 00:00 Deejayhuut (Zürich)
00.00 - 01.30 Apinti (SUTURA/ Bern)
01.30 - 03.30 speedmaus (axapgula, sooriyan / Bern)
03.30 - 05.00 steamy (Basel)
Culture can be so much more than just “bread and circuses” for the
people. In times of crisis, culture can make important ideas accessible
on various levels, convey them, foster a sense of community, or simply
provide a sense of liberation and distraction. It can also encourage
critical thinking or inspire new ideas. The Abolish! Solidarity Party
kicks off in the late afternoon. Following talks in the morning and
afternoon, we invite you to join us as the solidarity dinner is served,
enjoying cozy sounds under the open sky (indoors in case of bad
weather). Dreamy, haunted folk with guitar and vocals by Melissa Kassab
(Geneva), followed by 7EMA blending sounds from the SWANA region with
live electronica, raï and pop elements. Ambient vibes before and after
with DJ sets by Radio Alhara resident Leila Moon (Basel), Siren’s DJ
Aunty, and Nidor. While the gentle sounds fade away outside past
midnight, the club night kicks off at 10 p.m. with a club performance by
Azad & Selam—hard-hitting rap from Basel. Apinti & Deejayhuut
take over with beats & bass, before speedmaus and steamy usher in
the evening’s final wild ride with trance-inspired to hardtek beats.
* 6:00 PM – 12:00 AM Outdoor (indoors in case of bad weather): Concerts & Ambient
* 10:00 PM – 5:00 AM Indoor: Party with DJ sets
Although the Abolish! collective works exclusively on a volunteer basis,
the festival incurs costs: we pay for individual content and have
expenses for infrastructure, catering, etc. The organization of
Abolish!—with over 40 events across three weekends—is only possible
thanks to the immense dedication of the collective, friends, supportive
contributors, the people of Anstadt, as well as donations, collections,
and above all, the big Abolish! solidarity party. Every five-franc coin
in the collection and every (non-alcoholic) beer ensures that the next
edition of Abolish! can take place. Feel free to give what you can.
Enjoy it just as much and without any guilt if you can’t… <3
Anstadt Club
16:00 - 05:00
Monday 25 MAY
THOSE WHO BURN THE BORDERS is a documentary film started in October 2024 between Morocco, Ceuta and Europe, developed by IFLIS within Cadre Cagoulé, a rhizomatic audiovisual guerrilla collective. The film begins from the violence inflicted on colonised and migrant bodies by the border regime: repression, hogra, surveillance, humiliation, administrative violence, forced mobility, social abandonment and erasure. It is rooted in harraga trajectories and in the ways bodies are worn down, injured, disciplined and fragmented long before and long after the crossing itself. The project also addresses Morocco as a political space of repression and organised precarity, against the dominant narrative that reduces these departures to simple “economic migration.”
The event combines the screening of two videos already developed around the project with a discussion and the live performance THOSE WHO BURN YOUR PRIVILEGE. The first video is the pilot of the film. The second is an announcement video for the release of the film in September 2026.
THOSE WHO BURN YOUR PRIVILEGE extends the universe of the film into a performative form carried by IFLIS and Younes Sajid, in collaboration with Cadre Cagoulé and Cie Virage. Through body, movement, projected image and spoken presence, the performance engages the traces left by colonial and border violence on the body. It works through tensions between freedom of movement and confinement, privilege and illegality, memory and disappearance, resistance
Thursday 28 MAY
Solidarity dinner 18:00 (Injeera)
https://www.beuchot.org/
We—a group from France, Germany, and Switzerland—want to use Le Beuchot to create a place that combines solidarity, ecological action, and long-term access to land and housing. We no longer want to be spectators in a world where all hope is fading! We won’t settle for merely reacting with solidarity to emergencies or crises!
That is why we are forging relationships of mutual aid, learning, and solidarity that extend beyond national borders. Shall we do this together? Come by or write to us: info@beuchot.org
Bafta Sarbo focuses primarily on Marxist social policy, (anti-)racism, and migration policy. She co-edited *The Diversity of Exploitation* and writes for publications including *Jacobin* and *analyse&kritik*.
Effingerstr. 20
Attention!!
DIA-Kollektiv www.instagram.com/dia_kollektiv
Trigger warning: Violence.
More Informations about the film:
https://www.swissfilms.ch/en/movie/la-chasse-aux-fantomes/3ea6a0e59e404f7895748bc803cc7a06
Friday 29 MAY
Solidarity dinner 18:00
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This workshop is intended for cis men as well as others who were socialized as male or who are exploring masculinity (e.g., trans men, non-binary individuals) and are willing to examine masculinity, sexual violence, and their own entanglement in power dynamics. The starting point is the assumption that we have been socialized in a patriarchal and misogynistic society whose norms and expectations shape our thoughts, feelings, and actions, often without us consciously realizing it. The workshop creates a space where open yet responsible discussion is possible. This is not about assigning blame in an individual sense, but rather about critically reflecting on structures and behavioral patterns that facilitate or normalize violence. Together, we will explore how so-called “typically masculine” role models, notions of strength, dominance, or entitlement can be linked to forms of boundary-crossing and violence. A central starting point is the question: What does it mean to be part of a system that produces inequality and violence? What responsibility does this entail for one’s own actions? The workshop invites participants to question their own attitudes, tolerate ambivalence, and grapple with uncomfortable insights. Critical masculinity is deliberately not understood as a feel-good process. Rather, the focus is on examining one’s own position, recognizing privileges, and expanding one’s scope for action. Participants are supported in developing concrete strategies to act differently in everyday life—whether among friends, in relationships, or in public situations. Sign in: wurstkaesesalat@protonmail.com Do you feel you don’t fit the workshop’s target audience, but would still like to contribute to the discussion? We’re collecting examples of sabotage resulting from “masculine” behavior—specifically within alternative circles. Follow this link if you’d like: www.tally.so/r/LZ644p |
Together with several people affected by alternative custodial sentences and the isolating emergency assistance regime, we will discuss the consequences of these carceral practices – and work together to find ways to abolish them.
Saturday 30 MAY
Bar open
Childcare from 10:30 - 14:30
Spinnerei from 16:00-18:00
Solidarity dinner 18:00
In an open workshop format, we want to discuss the hurdles of the marriage process with an undocumented person. What are the legal basics, what is the best way to proceed, and where might obstacles arise? We will share information and experiences and open the floor for questions and discussions.
Takes place earlier!
Bündnis Justice4Nzoy https://justice4nzoy.org
Unabhängige Kommission zur Aufklärung der Wahrheit über den Tod von Nzoy https://nzoycommission.org/
During the legal proceedings, the family members experienced racist violence once again and therefore initiated an independent commission of inquiry comprising experts from the fields of law, medicine, and the social sciences to thoroughly investigate the circumstances of the murder. The research and investigative agency Border Forensics, together with the Commission, authored a report in which they fundamentally challenged the narrative of the police and of most media outlets regarding Nzoy’s killing and analyzed the various levels of racism and othering evident in Nzoy’s violent death.
Justice lies beyond legal proceedings and the question of individual guilt — it encompasses the explicit acknowledgment of the injustice inflicted by racist acts and underlying attitudes, a societal reckoning with racist realities in Switzerland, and the radical transformation of structures that enable such violence.
Members of the Justice4Nzoy alliance and the Independent Commission will share their experiences and discuss their work on the Nzoy case, inviting participants to reflect together on what justice might actually mean in the case of Roger Nzoy Wilhelm and in other cases of racist police violence, and to develop strategies to sustainably combat racism as a fundamental societal problem.
Sunday 31 MAY
Childcare from 09:30-12:00 and 13:30-16:00
Spinnerei from 16:00-18:00
Solidarity dinner 18:00
We want to create a space to talk about the fears and anger of this time. We want to examine concrete examples and “measures,” how we dealt with them, and how we might handle them next time.
And then ask ourselves: What abolitionist alternatives can we develop to deal with future states of emergency? And how can we, as collectives, ensure we do not lose our shared language and capacity for action?
The workshop is limited to 25 people, please sign in on geko@immerda.ch
If you want us to wear a mask, let us know.
Since gender roles are not fixed realities but are constructed, new ones may be less of a finished product and more of an ongoing process—one that is constantly changing, evolving, and sometimes even discarded. This makes it all the more important that this process not remain merely a “DIY project,” but that everyone sees their role in how we can deconstruct norms together.
What conclusions do we draw from this—and above all: What do we do with them now? How can we question norms, bend them, or even charmingly throw them out the window? And how do we carry these ideas both into our own bubble and further out into society?
In short: We want to find our orientation together, exchange perspectives, learn from one another—and in doing so, enrich the anti-patriarchal struggle.
DIA-Kollektiv www.instagram.com/dia_kollektiv
Followed by a discussion with Mohamed Mayara (Director of EquipeMedia / El Aaiun, occupied territories of Western Sahara) and Said (representative of the Polisario Front in Switzerland)
The DARS (Democratic Arab Republic of Sahara), also known as Western Sahara, is considered the last colony on the African continent. Activists from our group have visited the region and exchanged views with members of the Frente Polisario. Since then, we have been organizing informational events on Western Sahara to draw attention to this conflict, which receives far too little attention, and to Morocco’s violent occupation.
In March 2026, we screened the film “Insumisas” at the Reitschule cinema, which portrayed the suffering and incredible resilience of Sahrawi women and is based on the report “Let Everything Come to Light,” which sheds light on the crimes against Sahrawi women from 1975 to 2021. This was followed by a discussion with Nadjet Handi, representative of the Polisario Front in Switzerland and at the UN in Geneva.
As a follow-up, we are pleased to welcome Mohamed Mayara, director of the activist journalism group EquipeMedia, to the Abolish! event.
He will screen his award-winning short documentary “3 Stolen Cameras” (17 minutes) from 2017, which caused an international stir. Afterward, we will show the recently released documentary “Memory Does Not Surrender” (28 minutes), also produced by EquipeMedia, which premiered in Zurich just this past May.
The two short documentaries will be followed by a discussion with Mohamed Mayara (EquipeMedia, El Aaiun) and Said (representative of the Frente Polisario in Switzerland) who we also warmly welcome here. Finally, there will be an opportunity to ask questions about the topics discussed and the film shown during a Q&A session.
The event will be held in English. Simultaneous translation into French and German will be available via headphones.
About 3 Stolen Cameras:
The members of video activist group, Equipe Media, fight to keep their cameras. They use them to document the Moroccan kingdoms' violations of human rights in Africa's last colony - Western Sahara. No journalists are allowed entry and the only images that find their way out of the territory are the ones Equipe Media manages to film in secret, hiding on roof tops and risking severe consequences. They film police and military attacks on peaceful demonstrations as well as testimonies of violence that Sahrawis are exposed to in their everyday life. This is a story about breaking an absolute censorship with unique footage from an area where the Moroccan authorities have managed to implement a near total media blockade.
About “Memory Does Not Surrender”:
Memory Doesn't Surrender is a grassroots documentary produced by the Saharawi media collective Equipe Media. The film exposes the reality behind the 2010 Gdeim Izik protest camps in Western Sahara, shedding light on Moroccan human rights abuses, political imprisonment, and international complicity.
With: Working group Sudan of the Klimastreik
https://bern.climatestrike.ch/
Friday 05 JUNE
Solidarity dinner 18:00
anstadt.ch
Kuem
https://www.queerbodywork.net/über-mich
Apartheid Free Zone Bern www.apartheidfree.ch
Congo Accountability Network CAN / Team Congo www.teamcongordc.com
Moderation & Hosting: AFZ Campaign Bern & CAN Chapter Bern
Bazeli Mbo (co-founder of Team Congo & Congo Accountability Network) and Patou from BDS/AFZ Lausanne will talk about the work carried out by their network organisations and the connections between the struggles – for Palestine, for the Congo, and globally.
Through peaceful means of resistance—boycotts, divestment, sanctions, and public mobilization—both networks call on people to oppose the occupation, apartheid, and genocide in Palestine, as well as the genocide, mass displacement, and the actors in the Congo who profit from conflict and the exploitation of natural resources.
The networks identify “targets” and provide the necessary research and campaign materialsfor the Boycotts.
To conclude, the Bern-based collective Swiss Complicity will speak about the actions they have organized based on the targets identified by CAN and BDS.
Childcare from 12:00 - 15:00
Spinnerei from 16:00-18:00
Solidarity dinner 18:00
To combat isolation, we’re collecting bikes throughout the Abolish! campaign! Do you or your friends have bikes (ideally still in working condition) that are no longer needed? Bike locks and lights are always great too. We need bikes for adults. We’ll fix minor issues (tires, brakes, lights, etc.) together on Saturday, June 6, right on site.
If you have a bike but can’t bring it, let us know—we’ll be happy to pick it up.
Sign up at clownlab@proton.me; maximum 35 participants
Mo
Sara Schulman ‘Conflict Is Not Abuse’
The workshop is planned for 3 parts. In the first one we will share and explore our approaches, challenges, fears and experiences with conflicts. What are the stories we tell ourselves?
The second will focus on learning and unlearning, where we can together have a look on some tools and practices, discuss and critically assess them, paying attention on what we can and want to do as individuals. The last part can have a form of reality check – what is actually doable on a collective level, what is the group responsibility and how to start the change.
Additionally I can offer a space to talk about your case study, a particular situation, possible moves – in a form of troubleshooting together. If you are interested please contact the organizers.
With: Soony Mo
Cancelled!
"Framing Justice" is a collective effort to dismantle the media architectures that sanitize and normalize fascist agendas, commodify the destruction of our planet, and bury the truth under a cloud of distractions. This is a path along the frontlines, where the fight for a livable climate goes along with the dismantling of authoritarianism, racism, patriarchy, all interlocking systems of oppression. We aren't here just to "talk" about justice; we are here to build a radical, unyielding peace that refuses to compromise with the architects of crisis. To reclaim our world, we must first seize the power to define it. Through critical inquiry and participatory dialogue, we will redefine peace, re-envision climate justice, and build new frameworks for North-South solidarity, deconstructing old assumptions to sharpen our collective struggle.
Cynotype Technique workshop
Print your own cyanotype patch with us!
Using sunlight and photosensitive chemistry, we’ll expose festival graphics onto fabric and create unique blue patches together.
A small workshop about the cyanotype technique, collective learning, anti-commercial creativity, and making political aesthetics with our own hands
If you want to bring white t-shirts or bags, that would be a pleasure!
By good weather only
Anstadt, in front of the Bar
17:00-19:00
We are two social anthropologists, prison researchers, and activists (including members of Bfa! and the alliance “Wo Unrecht zu Recht wird”) who look forward to discussing this with you. We have no personal experience with incarceration and are not directly affected by racism, poverty, or border regimes, but we are happy to share insights from several years of research on the Swiss penal system.
This workshop, featuring an introductory presentation followed by a group discussion on abolitionist perspectives in Switzerland, is open to anyone interested in reflecting on these issues. We will strive to make the presentation as accessible as possible and accommodate the need for breaks.
With: The pirates of Lentillières
https://piratesdeslentilleres.net/
Gathered around a fire, travelers and pirates share their memories, dreams, and struggles. From one language to another, from one story to the next, we hear the roar of the storm and the rustling of leaves, the ominous siren and the wild dances, the clang of sabers and the chirping of birds. Until dawn, we wander the thousand and one paths of this imaginary yet very real island.
Sunday 07 JUNE
Solidarity lunch 12:30
Childcare from 10:00 - 14:00
* You learn how your identity is tied to your phone and how someone can find out your location.
* You learn that using E-Mail is like sending a post card, readable to anyone who wants to.
* You learn how to check if your personal data has landed on the dark web through data leaks
* You learn how to use CryptPad
* You learn which Browsers, Search Engines and E-Mail Providers you can trust.
* You learn how to get much less SPAM on your E-Mail
* You learn how to improve your Digital Well Being and don’t get annoying ads anymore
* You learn how to organize your digital life to have a better overview.
* You learn why hackers are constantly trying to break into your digital life
* If you get in contact with a new app or software, you learn how to find out if you can trust it
* You get to know many new tools which enhance your digital security and privacy
* And much more :))
Because there is a lot to talk about and to learn in digital security, the workshop will last almost the entire day. By using stories, analogies and drawings we try our best to make it as accessible, fun, interesting, understandable and as concrete possible. We will provide you with many tools and give you time at the workshop to apply them directly on your phone through a fun game. You don’t need any prior knowledge to follow the workshop.
Registration under: https://cryptpad.disroot.org/form/#/2/form/view/-ntDCjBolBScqd1kwTm50gnP53ED5ChUj5AhaDjkpWA/
The workshop consists of two parts. In the first part, we will introduce the structure of Leben ohne Strafe. We support people affected by police violence and the criminal justice system, whether because they have experienced a police stop, received a sentence, or are at risk of being incarcerated. The goal of the workshop is to provide people with information so that they can build a similar structure.
In the second part of the workshop, we will discuss why our work is abolitionist and what principles guide us in our work. Our focus will be on why our work requires that we move away from the distinction between guilt and innocence, because we want to combat the causes of violence, not individual people. We will explain how this approach leads to specific challenges and would like to discuss them with all participants.