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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