100 far-right protesters confronted by 5,000 counter demonstrators in Germany
‘Neo-Nazis and fearmongers are the minority,’ foreign minister says
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Your support makes all the difference.A far-right march billed as a show of strength and designed to intimidate journalists who had been critical of the extremist National Democrat Party of Germany (NPD) was drowned out by a counter-demonstration.
About 100 right-wing supporters turned up in Hanover on Saturday waving the red, black and white colours of their neo-Nazi group.
The tiny gathering was met by more than 5,000 counter-protestors.
The larger demonstration – described as a colourful and celebratory affair – came together after the governor of Lower Saxony, Stephan Weil, called on citizens to show a united front against far-right extremism.
He asked for residents to turn out in support of press freedom after NPD organisers had advertised their own march by posting pictures online of a journalist who had published in-depth reporting about the group.
Responding to the vast counter demonstration, Heiko Maas, the country’s foreign minister, tweeted: “In Hanover one can see what applies to all of Germany: the neo-Nazis and the fearmongers who hound journalists are the minority. Thanks for everyone who protested peacefully against this unworthy parade.”
Police, who had previously failed in an attempt to have the NPD rally banned, reported that four people were arrested.
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