Berlin activists plan creative protest against Peter Thiel's Axel Springer award

On Thursday, a group of activists associated with the Berlin Chaos Computer Club will gather outside the Springer-Haus to contest Peter Thiel’s receipt of the Axel Springer prize, which the publisher describes as honoring a “non-conformist.” The protest, titled “Thiel shall not pass,” will include a teach-in featuring scholars from computer science and political science, such as Enno Park, who will discuss Thiel’s use of Tolkien-inspired names like Palantir.

Critics note that the Greens’ base in Baden-Württemberg voted overwhelmingly against Palantir’s deployment, while only Die Linke has voiced opposition at the federal level. In the evening, participants are invited to dress as queer Gandalf characters, a nod to Thiel’s alleged hostility toward queer lives. Police have relocated the planned rally three times, citing parking concerns.

The action draws inspiration from a June protest in Argentina, where Thiel’s ties to President Javier Milei were highlighted, and follows reports that Thiel now lives in Buenos Aires’s diplomatic quarter. Additionally, former Big-Tech employee Eslem Demirel will use the occasion to raise awareness about tech workers’ rights and the militarization of software.