Woke plan to BAN white people from public pool sparks outrage and claims of ‘segregation’

A WOKE plan to ban white swimmers from a public pool in Berlin has sparked outrage and claims of segregation. The Volksbühne theatre was given £255,000 of taxpayers’ money to open a “people’s swimming pool” that was supposed to be “open for all who are seeking to cool down in the increasingly hot Berlin summers”. A public pop-up pool at a German theatre has been forced to cancel a controversial event Credit: AFP It had planned to host a six-hour event exclusively for ‘black communities’ Credit: Getty But the theatre advertised a six-hour event on Friday, August 14, when the 80ft open-air pop-up would be open “exclusively to black communities”. The event, organised in partnership with the anti-discrimination group Each One Teach One, was due to shut the pool to the wider public from noon until 6pm. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Visitors were also asked to respect “this collective self-designation and the spaces associated with it”. The decision sparked political backlash, with critics accusing organisers of turning a publicly funded facility into a racially divided space. Stefan Evers, Berlin’s finance minister and Christian Democrat candidate for mayor, said: “I don’t believe in dividing people by skin colour.” He added: “I understood the ‘People’s Swimming Pool’ as a swimming pool for everyone.” Christoph Meyer, the centre-right Free Democratic Party candidate, also blasted the move. He said: “Public spaces must bring society together, not segregate people based on skin colour.” Most read in The Sun The pop-up pool was opened using a large sum of taxpayers’ money Credit: AP The theatres has come under fire for the decision and faced accusations of segregation Credit: EPA The event has now been cancelled, after the theatre complained it had become the “target of right-wing and racist incitement”. Each One Teach One said it had received threatening and racist emails. It added that could no longer guarantee the “physical and psychological safety” of the young people the event was intended for. The theatre’s director, Matthias Lilienthal, has said he intends to rebook the event and will appear at the pool to discuss the controversy with members of the public. The temporary pool, installed outside the city centre, is due to remain in place for eight weeks and is free for all guests. The €300,000 (£256,000) project can accommodate just 46 swimmers at a time, with organisers estimating around 20,000 visitors during its run. Lilienthal has said he hoped to give Berliners somewhere to swim as the city’s pool facilities face mounting pressure. He told German broadcaster ZDF: “Half of the indoor and outdoor pools are closed, so we thought we’d help out Governing Mayor Kai Wegner.” “The Volksbuhne considers even something as simple as two people splashing each other to be a theatrical event.” The controversy comes during a sweltering summer in Germany, where extreme heat has placed further pressure on public swimming facilities. Swimming pools have also increasingly become flashpoints for culture wars. Last week, a swimming spot in Halle faced criticism after bathers were reportedly told they had to speak fluent German or risk being refused entry. The pool said the rule was intended to help keep swimmers safe and ensure they could understand instructions. Berlin’s swimming pools also introduced ID requirements in 2025 after a string of punch-ups and sexual harassment during hot summer days.