On the eve of Germany's general elections, the capital Berlin bore witness to numerous demonstrations as a controversial far-right march clashed with a larger group of antifa protesters, challenging police efforts to keep the groups apart. RFI’s Jan Van der Made was on the ground, covering the escalating tensions.
"We are here today to demonstrate for law and order and against left-extremism and politically motivated violence," Ferhat Sentürk told RFI.
He was one of the organisers of a rally of extreme right wing sympathisers and neo-nazis that got permission to march through the centre of Berlin on Saturday.
The group consisted of a few hundred, mostly young, people, clad in black, some with dead-head facemasks and caps.
They planned to march 1.5 kilometers from Dorothea Schlegel-Platz, near Friedrichstraße U-Bahn station, to Berlin's main railway station.
The demonstrators were surrounded by a massive police force, separating them from large groups of antifa protestors who were gathering in the streets at the other side of the station and at the opposite quai of the River Spree.
Despite the heavy police presence, one counter-protester managed to get through the cordon.
"These guys are racist and anti-semitic," said Karoline Preisler, dressed in red and holding a bouquet of colourful tulips.
"I hope my message is clear. Anti-semitism wasn't defeated in Germany, it wasn't defeated in the streets. We have to fight it".
She explained she is worried about the upcoming elections: "Right-wing parties are becoming more popular.
"In the past, democratic parties did not tackle one very important theme: migration. Migration belongs to everyday life, but the problems it generates are not being solved," she told RFI.
Meanwhile, Sentürk – the organiser of Saturday's rally – boasted that "Germany is finally standing up" and is happy that "the right or centre-right political discourse is finally ignited," referring to recent attempts by the opposition CDU to cooperate with the hard-right AfD on a migration law.
The motion passed by 348 to 344 votes, but a second reading, on 31 January was narrowly rejected with 349 to 338 with five abstentions.
The CDU-AfD joint move already led to massive demonstrations in Berlin and other cities earlier this month, but CDU leader Friedrich Merz was quick to distance himself from the temporary alliance, claiming the AfD is out to "destroy" the CDU.
But the seed of distrust between the CDU and potential coalition partners was sown.
The CDU-AfD deal broke the longstanding barrier between mainstream political parties and the AfD, thus complicating coalition negotiations that are set to begin after Sunday's elections.
Sentürk and his group welcome the broader shift to the right in both German and European politics. They also admire US President Donald Trump.
"We support Donald Trump and his policies. From his first day in office, he made an impact on Europe, dismantling the left-wing agenda in a single day—and we think that's fantastic. We like it. Happily. I wish him all the best."
By 11:30am on Saturday, a long line of police cars with blue flashlights started to move slowly, and hundreds of hard-right protesters followed, chanting "immigrants out" to a drumbeat.
Marchers at the front carried their name – the "Bürgerliche Allianz Deutschland" or German Civil Alliance – and their acronym: B.A.D.
The group then set to cross the Wiedammer bridge, but was faced with thousands of antifa protesters gathered on the other side of the river, beating drums and chanting "Nazis 'Raus!" or Nazis! Out!
The groups were separated by police in full riot gear, wearing helmets, shields and guns. Members of the groups exchanged obscene gestures and yelled curses at each other.
Along the way, different antifa demonstrators tried to intervene and block the progress of the far-right supporters.
At key intersections, counter-protesters who had anticipated the far-right march’s route – sat down, blocking the progress of the group.
The group would then come to a standstill. In order to keep his followers from rioting, Sentürk would grab the microphone and hold speeches that would last several minutes, followed by marching music.
The police, consulting maps, would then plot an alternative route and guide the group around the blockades.
By the end of the day, there were several standoffs between the groups and in some cases, police had to resort to pepper spray to disperse the protesters.
More demonstrations are planned for the remainder of the weekend.
Polling stations will open across Germany at 08:00am, Sunday.
