Germany: Dresden Nazi demonstration countered
01 January 2005
On 13 February, around 5,000 fascists demonstrated in Dresden on the 60th anniversary of the bombing of the city by the allies, an event which is traditionally used by German neo-Nazis to ally itself with nationalist forces and to revise Germany's history by portraying it as a victim of foreign aggression during world war II. Their favourite slogan compares the bombing of Dresden and the holocaust. The day was marked by an official anniversary commemoration, a large fascist demonstration and a 1,500 strong anti-fascist demonstration, which countered the fascist slogans with banners stating "No Tears for Krauts", "Granddad was a Nazi" and "Against Historical Revisionism".
Throughout the day, neo-Nazi groups continued to attack left-wing gatherings and anti-fascists. Some anti-fascists were beaten up and several information stalls destroyed. Eye witnesses reported that groups of neo-Nazis shouting "Nigger" were able to chase black people through the streets in the presence of police, whilst anti-fascists reported arbitrary arrests and physical attacks by police. Police officers were also accused of failing to protect a rally organised by anti-fascists and members of the Jewish community in front of the Dresden synagogue, which has been target of fascist attacks in the past. Ellen Mertens, spokesperson of the anti-fascist alliance, which was set up to stop the fascist demonstration but was also critical of the official commemoration, said:
There were three attacks. The first two could be fought off ...only the third was stopped by police around 100 metres before the rally...If the citizens of Dresden perfidiously wear "White Rose" stickers and attend [the official commemoration] at the church whilst letting the neo-Nazis march through the city without batting an eyelid, then something is wrong. We do not want to mourn over those who carried national socialism for years, for those who profited from the extermination of the Jews in Europe, for those who took part in the annihilation campaign in the armed forces and the SS. The 13 February reminds us of the liberation from national socialism, and this is why it is a day of joy. Because of the bombardment, Jewish people were able to flee their otherwise inevitable death. Because of the bombardment, important war infrastructures of the Nazis were destroyed.
http://venceremos.antifa.net/13februar/2005/index.htm
http://www.de.indymedia.org/2005/01/105403.shtml