For the second time, the May 1st holiday is affected by the corona pandemic and the restrictions. The parties on Walpurgis Night are canceled, as are the street festivals or the traditional maypole erection in many regions of Bavaria. Unlike last year, however, demonstrations are allowed. The corona requirements are a face mask and distance from other people. It doesn’t make things any easier for the police.-
Berlin before May 1st: Peaceful protest in Wedding
Around 3500 protesters took to the streets largely peacefully on the eve of May 1st in Berlin. In Berlin-Wedding around 1500 people demonstrated peacefully for social change. The police said the corona distance and hygiene rules had been complied with. She also mentioned the number of participants. The protest march started on Friday evening at Leopoldplatz and ended at Gesundbrunnen S-Bahn station. Left and radical left groups had under the motto “From crisis to expropriation“Called to the meeting.
The police held back to a large extent, emergency services ran at the beginning and end of the demonstration, which was mostly attended by young people. They wore mouth and nose protection. Bengal fires were waved and smoke pots lit on balconies and from the roof of a corner house as the demonstrators walked by. Loud music rang out, confetti trickled down. Numerous banners were displayed during the demonstration. It read, for example: “The rich should pay”, “Housing, businesses and hospitals in our hands” or “End homelessness”. “No return on rent” was also loudly chanted. According to police, two people were briefly arrested.
Later in the evening still moved feminist women’s groups with the motto “Take back the night – we take the night back” through Kreuzberg. The police said the number of participants was around 2000 – significantly more than expected. Only a few hundred were registered.
May 1 in Berlin: Police want to break up demonstrations quickly if corona rules are violated
Berlin’s police chief Barbara Slowik joined for the May 1st weekend Violations of the corona rules a fast resolution announced by meetings and demonstrations. Violent riots will be dealt with immediately, said Slowik on Friday morning in an interview on RBB-Inforadio. “We protect every meeting regardless of its content, if it adheres to the rules,” she added. If, for example, lateral thinkers did not adhere to mouth and nose protection and distance, the police wanted to address the meeting leader and participants as early as the gathering phase. If there is no reaction, a dissolution of the meeting will be implemented quickly and consistently.-
May 1st in Berlin: 5000 police officers will secure the demonstrations
May 1st is a new and special challenge for the Berlin police this year. “It will be a very special May 1st, which will also put us to the test,” said police spokesman Thilo Cablitz. More than 5000 police officers are said to be on duty as of Thursday over the course of the holiday. The exact number should not be known until Saturday. In addition to numerous operational hundreds, technical units, criminal police, traffic police and reconnaissance units are also there, said Cablitz.
Support is also coming from other federal states and from the federal police, but not as much as before, said police chief Barbara Slowik of the “Berliner Morgenpost”. The situation this year is “difficult” because of numerous other demonstrations: by left-wing extremists in Hamburg and Leipzig as well as “lateral thinkers” in Munich and Oldenburg.
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May 1st in Berlin: Most of the participants are expected to attend these demonstrations
On the evening of April 30th, 2021 (Friday), left-wing groups will demonstrate in Wedding and feminist women’s groups with the motto “Take back the night – we take the night back” in Kreuzberg.
Of the German trade union federation DGB initiates May 1st with a bicycle rally. Around 2500 registered participants want to drive to the Großer Stern from different directions.
Opponents and critics of the Corona restrictions as well as so-called lateral thinkers will demonstrate from 12 p.m. in Lichtenberg (Rathausstrasse). The title is somewhat misleading: “No to capital – global resistance! Left against Corona arbitrariness. “1000 participants are registered who want to run through the neighborhood once. But there could also be a little more people or significantly fewer.
“For the revival of the Cultural scene and club scene through the creative use of public space, ”said a demonstration with music from 1 p.m. onwards. From Stralauer Platz at the Ostbahnhof it goes to Ostkreuz. Registered 500 participants.
In the afternoon at 3 p.m. there is a satirical, colorful demonstration with one Bicycle parade through the villa district of Grunewald planned. Officially, 2500 participants are listed here. “Klingeling, home visit to capital” and “Put Grunewald even more paralyzed”, it said in an appeal on the Internet. And further: “It is time for the people of Grunewald to get the reallocation of their wealth to the chain.” At earlier demonstrations in Grunewald Various cars were once painted and sometimes also scratched.
The left and radical left “Revolutionary May Day demonstration“Moves from 6 p.m. from Hermannplatz in Neukölln to Oranienplatz in Kreuzberg. 1,000 demonstrators are registered, but the police are expecting up to 10,000 participants. Because of the issue of rent caps, a “strong mobilization of middle-class clientele, too,” said Slowik. The police are also expecting groups from the left-wing radical and left-wing autonomous scene as well as numerous onlookers.
Police want to intervene consistently in riots and riots on May 1st in Berlin
the police wants to act cautiously as usual, but intervene consistently when it comes to outbreaks of violence. With so many people it becomes “difficult to comply with the hygiene regulations,” said Slowik. The police will try to keep the rooms large enough to keep the distances. Demonstrators from the left spectrum would mostly adhere to the hygiene rules.
With view on Demonstration Of critics of the Corona rules and their refusal to wear masks, Slowik said: “If participants decide not to wear masks even in large groups, as an expression of the so-called” resistance “, then we dissolve quickly and consistently.” There could even be “in the worst of all cases” water cannon be used “so that people spread out as quickly as possible”.-
In Berlin there is a night curfew due to the federal emergency brake
Demonstrations are basically not of the curfew affected in the evening. The Infection Protection Act regulates this. However, according to the police, it must actually be demonstrations and not just an excuse to stay or celebrate on the streets. If the streets in Kreuzberg or the parks are still full after 10 p.m., the police will take action because of the risk of infection, said police spokesman Cablitz. People will be addressed individually or in groups, they will be asked to go home and larger crowds will be scattered. Slowik admitted: “But I am happy to admit that it will be difficult.” In recent years, after the demonstrations, thousands of people stayed on the streets until late at night.
Danger for police officers: glass bottles are banned in Berlin’s Kreuzberg district
A Ban from Glass bottles was imposed by the police for May 1st in Kreuzberg between Kottbusser Tor, Mariannenplatz and Görlitzer Park. This is intended to prevent possible attacks on police officers with throwing bottles and to limit alcohol consumption. After the radical left demonstration on May 1st, there had been violent attacks on the police and rioting for many years. The level of violence has decreased over the years.
Where will further demonstrations take place on May 1st?
Besides the traditional rallies of unions in different cities like Dortmund or Frankfurt (Main) also want right-wing extremists, AfD and Corona critics to use May 1st for demonstrations in Saxony.
18 meetings with around 4000 participants are in alone Zwickau registered, including an elevator of the right-wing extremist Party III. Path through the city center, for which nationwide mobilization is taking place. Such gatherings of people in a confined space are not responsible with a view to the current infection process, said the district councilor, Carsten Michaelis, on Tuesday. Therefore, all rallies in the city would be prohibited – even those that have not yet been registered.
In Dresden According to the state police headquarters, a meeting from the lateral thinker milieu was announced, at which 500 participants are expected.
In Chemnitz the AfD wants to hold a rally.
In Görlitz three car parades of opponents of the Corona measures with around 500 vehicles are displayed.
In Leipzig Up to 1000 participants are expected at a meeting at the Völkerschlachtdenkmal.
In Nürnberg Thousands of bikers are expected on Saturday (May 1st, 2021) for the “Ride Free 2021” demonstration. A motorcycle parade will roll through the city from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. As in the previous year, the bikers wanted to demonstrate against the Federal Council’s demand for a ban on motorcycles on Sundays and public holidays. The number of participants is limited to 6000 people.
In Hamburg Several demonstrations by left and radical left groups are expected on Walpurgis Night (April 30th, 2021) and on May 1st, 2021. The police assume that there will be several thousand participants.
In Greifswald In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the NPD wants to march again after a ten-year break. In the university and Hanseatic city of Greifswald, a total of 16 meetings will take place on May 1st, 2021, which were registered as two elevators and 14 vigils in the Vorpommern-Greifswald district.
