ZWZ bleibt! ❤️ Zürich is changing. Open spaces are disappearing, rents are rising, and non-commercial culture is being squeezed out. Places where people can organise, experiment and get involved are becoming increasingly rare. That is precisely why the Zentralwäscherei is needed. ZWZ is no ordinary cultural venue. It is a platform for the city’s political and cultural actors. This is where projects are born, where initiatives network, where discussions take place, ideas are exchanged, and where the future – and above all the present – is shaped together. What happens here is finding less and less space elsewhere in Zurich. The Josef-Areal demonstrates what is possible when space is not organised solely around profit. Studio spaces give artists a space to work. The Josi sports centre provides access to exercise and community. Groups such as the Climate Strike, the online magazine ‘das Lamm’, the Bitwäscherei, the Zentralwäscherei association, or the open repair workshop ReCreaZZZ bring social issues into the city and make them visible. In total, the ZWZ hosts over 40 organisations, associations, studio spaces and individuals, and creates a total of 400 cultural events per year. ZWZ is a place where commitment takes concrete form: accessible, based on solidarity and open to anyone who wants to get involved. Yet it is precisely such places that are under pressure. Anything that is not immediately profitable is pushed aside. Anything that does not fit in must make way. As a result, the city loses not only spaces, but also diversity, participation and critical voices. ZWZ is a crucial example of what Zurich urgently needs: self-organised spaces that are not driven by the pressure to consume, but by community and initiative. It offers an alternative to a city that is becoming increasingly homogenised, expensive and exclusive. That is why it is clear: ZWZ must stay. For a vibrant city. For cultural diversity. For everyone. Hier geht es zum Pressedossier! Answer to the FDP Statement and NZZ Haltung on the votation Since its opening, Zentralwäscherei (ZW) has grown into a vital cultural and social space in Zurich: a place where critical reflection, artistic experimentation, and marginalized perspectives can take root and flourish. Like many cultural institutions, ZW understands culture not as something detached from society, but as a living arena in which societal conflicts, injustices, and transformations are actively negotiated. We operate as a gastronomic space with affordable options and a venue for concerts, parties, theatre, and talks, but our community runs far deeper than any of those functions alone. Shaped by the dozens of people who work here and volunteers who give their time, and the many more who come to take part in what we do, ZW is inherently woven into the local and international realities that, directly or indirectly, touch the lives of everyone who makes this space what it is. ZW has consistently worked against all forms of discrimination through a rigorous awareness concept and internal self-critical structures. Continuous reflection is a fundamental principle guiding our work, and accusations of discriminatory behaviour and problematic incidents have always been taken seriously with care and transparency. Nonetheless, certain political sectors have chosen to weaponize these critiques for their own gain, attempting to censor visions of society they do not share, revealing a startling lack of reflection on their side. What we are witnessing is not an honest discussion about democratic values. It is part of a global shift in the political climate that has deeply affected how institutions provide and protect public services. This trend pushes for budget cuts and the encroachment of the very spaces that give life to our cities. Cultural venues are often the first to be targeted. Many of these spaces, which provide low-cost, non-profit, and non-consumption-oriented options, rely on public support to survive these adverse conditions. This shift is nested within a political trend where the right wing, from the margins of democratic institutions, feeds on manufactured moral panic to justify an ideologically motivated hostility toward a vibrant and welcoming cultural scene. The solidarity shown with the Palestinian cause has become the perfect opportunity to intensify these attacks. The accusation that ZW promotes extremism because it hosted Francesca Albanese is particularly revealing. Albanese is not an extremist activist, but a UN Special Rapporteur appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council. Portraying the invitation of a UN representative as "proof" of extremism is intellectually dishonest. On the contrary, welcoming a renowned international voice on human rights is a privilege; it is an action that aligns perfectly with a space grounded in democratic values and mutual respect. Equally absurd is the repeated attempt to portray ZW as antisemitic. We firmly maintain that criticism of Israeli state policies is not synonymous with antisemitism, and conflating the two systematically damages serious efforts to fight the very real threat of antisemitism. ZW is deeply committed to anti-racist and anti-discriminatory work, a commitment shared by the diverse communities, including many Jewish individuals, who actively shape our projects and events. Furthermore, these accusations do a profound disservice to them, unfairly impacting their lives and erasing the vital work they do. The references to Students for Palestine fundraising events are also repeatedly taken out of context in order to create a broader narrative of moral panic. If individuals feel harmed or affected by events or statements connected to ZW, they are always welcome to reach out and engage in dialogue. In reality, however, the main attacks have come not from affected communities, but primarily from political parties, media commentators, and city authorities pursuing calculated political agendas. It is profoundly cynical that these attacks are led by political factions with no track record of supporting integration or diversity. On the contrary, these are the very same actors who routinely scapegoat migrants and actively push political platforms rooted in exclusion and discrimination on the basis of class, race, gender, and sexuality. It has become increasingly clear that talking about geopolitics, particularly Israel and Palestine, is being treated as a unique taboo. In this context, the demands for 'neutrality' serve as a thin veil for censorship. This selective outrage exposes a profound political double standard and a disturbingly illiberal stance from parties that otherwise claim to champion freedom. Their aim is to censor the difficult realities of our world and limit the development of the very free speech and respectful dialogue they ostensibly protect. Ultimately, liberal values cannot only apply to opinions that are convenient; ignoring reality does not make it go away. Living in Zurich means having to carve out one's own path to find the ‘hidden gems’ of the city. We all benefit from the vibrancy these spaces bring to everyday life, especially when things feel dull and grey. We have a collective responsibility to ensure that the cultural scene, forged through struggle, patience, and hard work, remains vibrant, independent, and accessible for years to come.