Among the many old traditions in Germany, there is one that is particularly weird: the annual street clashing on Mayday.

I guess the majority of the population would rather just enjoy a smooth day off work and maybe some BBQ, but there seems to be a strong sense of political awareness paired with a certain degree of propensity towards violence within the extreme left. So the young and the restless like to take to the streets on the first of May.

Some of them march for ideas like communism…

…while others put on shades and black hoodies and prepare themselves to express their views in a more physical way:

May 1st: a few demonstrations along the large boulevards in the afternoon, some fighting between the police and the AFA (Anti-Fascist Action) in the evening, and finally a couple of burning cars to call it a night, that pretty much sums it up for the capital. One year it’s larger, another year it’s smaller. Hiding your car might be a good idea anyway.

In 2010 something special was going to happen though:

The extreme right had gathered a bunch of neo-nazis and announced a demonstration of their own, right through the heart of Berlin.

So this time, not only the AFA and the demonstrators took to the streets, but also a good part of the rest of the population got together to protest against the nazis.

Some of them were holding balloons…

(“No place for nazis”)

…while others gathered at street corners in order to block the way of the nazi parade:

(“No spring for nazis”)

And on top of all this, the administration had mobilized more than 5.000 policemen in combat gear to prevent everybody from beating each other up.

In the end, the nazi parade never got very far. Apparently, they had to cancel their demonstration after 600 meters because there was just no getting through.

I didn’t even get to see any of them. Almost, that is…

We were all getting ready to go home, when suddenly there was a bit of a turmoil right ahead: a group of skinheads had gotten separated from their peers, and now they were waving their Imperial War Flag right in front of everybody, not knowing that the AFA had been waiting just for them.

Long story short: the nazis had to run for their lives, the flag of their pride flapping behind them, while the kids from the AFA were close behind, wailing and baying for their blood.

Then they were out of sight.

“Swift as greyhounds” (“flink wie Windhunde”) – hadn’t that been Hitler’s slogan for the fascist youth?

It took on a whole other meaning now.

Soundtrack: Circle Jerks – “Parade Of The Horribles”