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Lorna Mills and Sally McKay
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Doug Saunders is writing a whole series of columns on the contemporary state of facism in Europe for the Globe and Mail. Last week was Italy, where facism seems to be generally on the rise, today's was Germany where it does not. Last week in Berlin there was an interesting, middleclass anti-neo-nazi march. Saunders wrote about it in the Globe on Monday:
The very presence of fascists, however marginal their movement, brought thousands of people onto the streets, with the sole intention of standing and blocking the Nazis' progress.As it happens, guest poster Gordon Hicks is in Berlin right now and he says Saunders' description is accurate. Here are some of Gordon's notes and pictures of the day...
"It would be the most enormous embarrassment to all Germans if these people were allowed to walk around on this day without being stopped," said Michael Philipps, 44, a soft-spoken academic who stood with hundreds of families and blocked the street in front of the Lustgarten -- the very spot where Hitler held his famous May rally almost exactly 70 years before.
Guest post #2 by Gordon Hicks:
This weekend's event: Neo-nazi's from the under-employed east march in Berlin. Anti-facists, lefties, skinheads and citizens also march to prevent the neos from marching. The police keep a heavily padded riot line between the two groups. Happy to report the anti's outnumber the facists by a large number (5 times or more).
The photo [above] is taken from the north side of Jannowitzbruke (bridge). The protesters are sitting about - I imagine just to block the possible march of the neos. The police line blocks anyone from crossing the river into the center of the protest area.
A quiet unease hangs about - not festive like last weekend's bash in Kreutzberg - the atmosphere is more grim—resolved, actually.
Theses photos are from Alexanderplaz - just north of the centre of the Neo-Nazi march and a five minute walk from the apartment where I am staying. Every once in a while the police troops would get a command and quick-march off to somewhere else, or quick-march back into the plaz.
Below can see the "World Time Clock" with it's groovy 60's motif on top.
The water cannon trucks and armored personel carriers stood ready on the side streets but, happily, didn't see action. I saw dozens of both kinds of military style vehicles around the area. The bulldozer shovels on the front have a cheerful little request: "Please Stand Clear".
- Guest poster Gordon Hicks
The following is a report from Berlin by my friend and colleague Gordon Hicks.
Guest post #1 from Gordon Hicks:
I was just reading your post about police and ideas of 'inherent friction'. Sunday was May 1st and that means the May Day celebrations/riots in Kreuzberg. Since the studio where I am working is right in the middle of Kreuzberg (at Bethanien) we got to wander around the neighbourhood and take it all in.
The police/people duality seemed much more formalized than I am used to. Both sides seem to understand a lot more about it than they have in my past experience.
Most of the day is a huge street party with music and people hanging out being mellow. The photo below was taken in front of the studio building (Bethanien) in the park. Turkish beat music came from the South, rock music from the North.
There was a phalanx of reds marching up and down the neighbourhood in what I guess is a random pattern. They passed by at least three times, each time the group getting larger. Clusters of riot police would go into quick step manouvres in order to get positioned on this or that street in anticipation of the parade passing. (Parade below)
Cops. All sorts. And I mean all sorts. Good Riot-Cops, Just-Doing-Our-Job Riot Cops, and Big-Mean-Motterfucker-In-Black Riot Cops. ( I chickened out taking photos of the last class when I saw them straight arm a passerby.)
-Guest Poster Gordon Hicks