Freiburg's contribution to the nationwide day of action for a solidarity-based healthcare system

On Wednesday 17 June, an alliance organised by the Solidarity Healthcare Network called for a rally at the Platz der Alten Synagoge and a human chain through the city centre to the town hall on the occasion of the originally planned conference of health ministers in Freiburg. Among others, ver.di, the University Hospital's team delegates' meeting and Care Revolution Freiburg also took part. Almost 400 people came together and took their demands to the streets under the motto "Stand up instead of clapping - together for a healthcare system based on solidarity". You can get impressions of the event here in an interview with the Solidarity Healthcare Network, here in a report by Südwestrundfunk and here on TV Baden Süd. Representatives of the Solidarity Healthcare Network and the team delegates' meeting of university hospital employees spoke at the opening rally. The focus was on the demand for fundamental changes in the healthcare system, such as the abolition of flat rates per case. "We want care that is based on actual need, not on corporate profits and the need to economise. And we want to decide democratically what our healthcare looks like," said the network representative in her speech. This went well with the Care Revolution posters, which read, among other things: "Money for carers instead of shareholders - Care Revolution now!" Originally, a central rally was planned for that day in Berlin as the venue for the conference of health ministers. As this was cancelled, rallies and other actions took place in several cities across Germany. This livestream gives an impression of what happened in various cities. There are also impressions from Freiburg: the video does not even include all the cities where there were actions. In Baden-Württemberg, people took to the streets in Sigmaringen, Tübingen and Ulm to draw attention to the need for change in the healthcare system. Finally, a look across the border: in France, there were demonstrations by healthcare workers in many cities the day before, on 16 June. An insight with links to many cities can be found at labournet. Bottom line: From the point of view of Care Revolution Freiburg, the demonstration in Freiburg was really successful and encouraging. It was also good to connect with activists in other cities. It is clear to us that many more and bigger steps are needed to take action against the economisation and privatisation of care for the elderly and the health sector. We are taking them - also in the Solidarity Healthcare Network, in which people from our group are firmly involved.