News: The citizens of Dresden take a stand and come to block a neo-Nazi march

They aborted a demonstration for the second time in a week in Germany. Members of the MSR participate in the march.

Twice in the last week, various neo-Nazi groups have attempted to demonstrate en Dresden (Germany) and both times have been stopped. The protest this Saturday was authorized, but the citizens of the capital of Saxony were the ones who confronted the right-wing extremists.

The powerful German Confederation of Unions (DGB) estimated some 21,000 people joined the protests to expel the neo-Nazis from Dresden, a number expected to be less than 4,000 initially, according to data collected by Efe.

A Dresden court had permitted the Nazi demonstration this Friday, despite the resources presented against it by the local government. Last weekend, some 17,000 residents of Dresden stopped around 1,300 neo-Nazi from marching through the city center to celebrate the anniversary of the Dresden bombings during the Second World War.

Blocking the neo-Nazis

A wide police deployment attempted to guarantee that the thousands of anti-fascists would arrive at the site reserved for the neo-Nazis, although the demonstrators broke the security barriers and arrived at the zone, where there were already some 600 extremists. Others blocked routes of access to the reunion spot for the neo-Nazi march in the city’s train station.

Around Dresden’s central station, young anti-fascists simultaneously burned half a dozen barricades set up to block the streets and prevent the neo-Nazis from marching toward the city center.

The neo-Nazi groups ended up abandoning Dresden and heading for Leipzig, 100 kilometers to the east, to celebrate their march there. The police reported that the participants in the right-wing extremists’ march would be escorted in small groups to Leipzig by law enforcement officials.

Throughout the day, there were conflicts between anti-fascists and security forces. The police used tear gas and hydrant carts to block the protestors from the neo-Nazis.

Church and unions, together

Representatives from parties all across the political spectrum, churches, unions, and civil associations, along with thousands of citizens on foot, joined the protests against the presence of ultra-right activists in the city. At the same time, in 54 Dresden churches, vigils were mounted in protest against the presence of right-wing extremists in the city, where they condemned racism, xenophobia, war, and violence.

Some activists threw rocks, bottles, and flares at the officials. They also damaged several vehicles and broke the windows of an official building. The clashes produced casualties and arrests, said a police spokesperson, without giving numbers.

MSR, a Spanish right-wing extremist party, confirmed on their webpage the presence at the demonstration of its members.