Firecrackers thrown at police as far-left march heightens tension in Berlin
After a peaceful youth protest at the Brandenburg Gate, a separate march moved from Mitte to Prenzlauer Berg. Firecrackers flew and police stopped it several times. Police put the crowd at about 3,000.
Symbolic image · Photo: Lear 21 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Tensions rose in Berlin on Saturday evening after largely peaceful youth protests in the afternoon. A far-left march under the slogan “Gen Z hat genug!” (Gen Z has had enough) moved from Rosenthaler Platz in the Mitte district toward Prenzlauer Berg. It was led by communist youth groups, and participants from the pro-Palestinian scene were also present. The march was not part of the nationwide “Gen Z regelt” protests.
Shortly after it set off, firecrackers were thrown toward police, along with occasional eggs and bottles. Police, who accompanied the march in large numbers, stopped it several times, including after a firecracker was thrown at a police vehicle. “We note that one or another participant is prepared to commit crimes,” police spokesman Jörn Iffländer said. Police urged marchers not to use pyrotechnics.
On the way to Prenzlauer Berg, the number of participants grew from about 700 to some 3,000, according to police. On Prenzlauer Allee, officers wrestled a man to the ground, reporters said. There was no initial word on arrests or injuries. About 1,500 police officers were deployed across Berlin on Saturday.