Berlin's right-wing Interior Minister boasted that he would not
allow any violence or disorder in his capital city this May Day, but he
was sadly disappointed. Despite the presence of 4,500 riot police in the
city, many of them flown in from western Germany, two nights of clashes
erupted around this year's revolutionary May Day celebrations.
With four squatted houses evicted in less than a month, constant
police provocations against all leftist demonstrations, and continued cuts
in social spending to finance capitalist building ventures in Germany's
new capital, the mood prior to this year's May Day demo in Berlin was
quite heated. On April 30, the traditional "witches' night" festival
'Walpurgisnacht' was held in the East Berlin district of Prenzlauer Berg.
In order to prevent a repeat of last year's violent clashes, local Green
politicans worked together with the cops to enact a "security program"
which included nearly 100 undercover cops intermingling with the festival
seekers as well as 1,500 riots cops in nearby streets, but this could not
deter the resistance. Shortly after one in the morning, masked anarchist
youths set a car on fire and erected barricades. Clashes with police
lasted for over an over.
May Day itself started with the traditional trade union
demonstration organized by the reformist DGB trade union alliance. Little
more than 10,000 took part, and many of those who did shouted down union
leaders during their speeches. The social democratic union leadership has
come under increasing criticism lately for working together with the
conservative government of Helmut Kohl to cut back on social spending and
to erode workers' rights. A block of Kurdish demonstrators was attacked by
special police units during the rally. 7 Kurds were arrested for holding
pictures of Abdullah Ocalan, leader of the banned Kurdistan Workers Party
(PKK).
Due to political in-fighting, Berlin's radical-left staged two
Revolutionary May 1st demos this year, the first since 1993. The mainly
German autonomist spectrum attended a demo organized by Anti-Fascist
Action Berlin, which started from Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz in East Berlin.
Some 12,000 people took part in this demo. Another 2,500 people marched
from Kreuzberg in a demonstration which was primarily organized by Turkish
and Kurdish communist organizations. Both marches were supposed to meet
together for a joint rally at Kollwitzplatz in the Prenzlauer Berg section
of East Berlin. Riot police stopped the Turkish and Kurdish march,
however. In response to this provocation, autonomist youths on
Kollwitzplatz attacked police and erected barricades. Police responded
with water cannons and baton charges, but it took nearly two hours and
several volleys of tear gas before they were able to clear the area.
Sporadic clashes lasted into the early evening.
It's not clear how many demonstrators were injured in this year's
May Day clashes, but it's fair to assume that several were. All those
unlucky enough to be arrested were very roughly treated. Around 96 people
are facing riot-related charges. Of these, 19 are being charged with more
serious offences with potential prison terms of six months to 10 years.
The cops reported 48 officers injured, 5 temporarily hospitalized.
Newspapers in the days after the events spoke of a "new generation of
violent Autonomen" as most of those arrested were youths from the former
East Germany, not older autonomists from Kreuzberg and other traditional
leftist strongholds.
One major failure this May Day was the fact that more than 200 neo-
nazis were able to march unhindered through the East Berlin district of
Marzahn. After a Nuremburg court banned a march and rally there, fascists
from all across Germany mobilized for Berlin for a rally organized by the
youth wing of the far-right NDP and members of the banned fascist party
FAP. Shouting "German jobs for German workers!" and other bullshit, nazis
marched for a while through the empty streets of Marzahn escorted by riot
cops as only three dozens antifas, mobilized on short notice, looked on.
The fact that fascists were able to march in the same city as a
revolutionary demo of more than 10,000 people - organized by anti-
fascists! - is an embarassment which must never be repeated.
Next time...smash the fascists wherever they appear!
Freedom for all May Day prisoners!
Solidarity with the fighting workers and youths of Istanbul!
