The Berlin police are once again preparing for violence on May 1st this year. Thousands of emergency services will accompany the “revolutionary” protest march through Neukölln. There are also political events and family celebrations.
- “Revolutionary May 1st” demonstration moves through Neukölln
- Police expect more than 5,000 participants – 6,200 police officers on duty
- Villa district in Grunewald was not fenced off during the “MyGruni” satire demo
- Pro-Palestinian demonstrators disrupt DGB rally, police investigate
The “Labor Day” demonstrations in Berlin have so far all been peaceful and without any major incidents. Since shortly after 6 p.m., the left-wing extremist “Revolutionary May 1st” demonstration has been moving from the Südstern in Kreuzberg to Neukölln. Violence is expected here, which is why a total of 6,200 police officers from various federal states are on duty. According to the police, 5,000 people have taken part in this protest so far.
The first participants met at Südstern from 4:30 p.m., and according to rbb reporters on site, the situation remained calm. Now the protest procession should set off along the following route: Südstern – Körtestraße / Lilienthalstraße – Hasenheide – Hermannplatz – Karl-Marx-Straße – Erkstraße – Sonnenallee – Hermannplatz (intermediate rally) – Hasenheide – Südstern. According to the police, the demo is registered for 5,000 participants, but they are expecting up to 10,000 participants.
According to the police, the route was specifically chosen with a view to the Gaza war in order to attract as many pro-Palestinian demonstrators as possible. One expects aggressive demonstrators.
Route of the “Revolutionary May 1st Demo” through Berlin for 2024 (Source: rbb)
Stone deposits discovered
In a house on Pannierstrasse, which is on the demonstration route, the police said they discovered stone deposits and roof tiles next to a Palestine flag that had been laid out. The police announced this on “X” in the afternoon. Several residents pointed this out to the police. She announced that she would fly the route with a police helicopter in order to discover possible further stone deposits.
Interior Senator calls for consistent police action
Berlin’s Interior Senator Iris Spranger (SPD) praised the police’s good preparation for the May 1st demonstrations. “The security of our city is the top priority,” wrote the SPD politician on Wednesday on Platform X. The police will take consistent action against criminals.
May 1st in the live blog
On May 1st there are traditional celebrations and demonstrations in Berlin. Here you can experience what’s happening in the capital in the live ticker.more
No fencing at the “MyGruni” demo in Grunewald
The “My Gruni” demonstration in Berlin-Grunewald had already started at midday with an estimated 4,000 participants, according to the police. The route of the demo with the motto “Raid in Grunewald – solving capital crimes” runs from Johannaplatz via Bismarckallee, Wildpfad, Griegstrasse, Königsallee and Fontanestrasse to Grunewald train station. Start was at 1 p.m. The police reported on X in the afternoon of a peaceful atmosphere without incident. The event ended around 5 p.m.
This year the organizers had a satirical campaign was announced: Analogous to the fencing plans for Görlitzer Park, they announced that they wanted to fence in the Grunewald residential area. A raid with “special expropriation forces (SEK)” is planned in Grunewald and a strike against the “capital extremist scene,” said the “MyGruni” initiative. But that didn’t happen. According to rbb reporters, the announcement was a PR stunt.
Previously, two bicycle demos had started as feeders on Behaimstrasse with, according to the police, around 70 demonstrators and in front of the Max-Schmeling-Halle with around 2,200 participants.
Pro-Palestinian disruption at the DGB demo
“Labor Day” had previously begun in Berlin with a demonstration by the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) for “more wages, free time, security”. At the start of the procession through the center of the capital The police estimated the number of participants at 7,500; they later increased the estimate to 12,500 people.
The demonstration had to be stopped briefly when around 100 people disrupted the demonstration with loud pro-Palestinian slogans and banners. The police confirmed this to rbb. The officers separated the group from the rest of the demo, then the demo continued. In the early evening, the police announced on X that two criminal charges for sedition had been issued in this context. One person resisted the police, whereupon their personal details were identified.
Rallies and street festivals also in Brandenburg
For the state of Brandenburg, the trade union federation has also announced rallies, demos and street festivals in Cottbus, Forst, Guben, Finsterwalde, Königs Wusterhausen, Potsdam, Hennigsdorf, Brandenburg an der Havel, Frankfurt (Oder), Schwedt, Strausberg and Eberswalde. You can find all events on the DGB website [berlin-brandenburg.dgb.de].
The DGB organizes its nationwide central May event in a different federal state every year. This year it will take place in Hanover (Lower Saxony).
Myfest in Berlin is canceled again – silent end after fifteen years?
For over a decade, “Myfest” was part of the standard program on May 1st in Berlin. At the beginning of the millennium it started as an alternative to riots. But now support in the district appears to be lost. By Simon Wenzelmore
Numerous festivals throughout the city
The “Myfest” in Kreuzberg, which has been held for around 15 years in a row will not take place again this year. The district administration said that there had been no concrete planning on the part of the organizers; the organizer accused the district office of having no interest in the festival. The Senate, in turn, criticized the cancellation of the festival again: Now there are hardly any alternative, peaceful festival offerings to “Myfest”. But in 2025 they want to organize a “Myfest” again, says organizer Halis Sönmez.
But there is a small edition in Kreuzberg: as “May Day at Mariannenplatz” with music in the open air, speeches and activities for children, between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m., around Mariannenplatz, Heinrichplatz and Oranienplatz. The Left is one of the organizers.
There are other festivals all over the city: at the children’s farm of the Ufa factory in Tempelhof, for example, there are offers on May 1st, especially for families. The “HelleMitteTanzt” festival on Alice-Salomon-Platz in Hellersdorf offers a free stage and family program from May 1st to 5th, including bumper cars, carousels, cotton candy, etc. Poems and stories about Labor Day were read out in Hasenheide .
At the Kurt-Schumacher-Damm on the central fairground there is a lot of excitement again. And in the Obersee-Orankesee-Park in Alt-Hohenschönhausen there will be another festival called “Cultures in the Park” with various readings, vintage cars and artistry. And if all this is too much for you: the Wendenschloss lido opens its season at 12 p.m. It should be up to 26 degrees warm.
More than 5,000 police officers were deployed in Berlin on May 1st
Numerous events have been registered in Berlin for May 1st. The police are prepared. Most of the forces will be in action at the Revolutionary May 1st demonstration in the evening. According to the GdP, how this will work out is a “lucky bag”.more
Peaceful demonstrations on Walpurgis Night
Already on the eve of May 1st there was in Berlin two larger demonstrations. Under the title “Take Back the Night,” up to 2,800 people followed the call from left-wing, queer-feminist women. The meeting started late at Boxhagener Platz in Friedrichshain and was actually supposed to go to the Jannowitz Bridge. It ended on Warschauer Straße about an hour and a half earlier than planned. Pyrotechnics and firecrackers were occasionally set off along the way, but ultimately the situation remained peaceful, according to the police. According to initial reports, there were no arrests.
Previously, up to 800 people took part in the “For Peace and Social Justice!” demonstration. from Leopoldplatz in Wedding towards Gesundbrunnen. According to the police, there were no incidents here either.
Around 3,000 police officers accompanied the events on Walpurgis Night.
Broadcast: rbb24 Inforadio, May 1st, 2024, 7 a.m