On May 1st, the Berlin May Day demonstration ended where it began: at Südstern in Berlin-Kreuzberg. Thousands of people crowded the streets around the square, with police officers interspersed among them. The first demonstrators began to roll up their banners, while a woman on a loudspeaker truck tried to keep the crowd energized. A couple, wrapped in Palestinian scarves, walked past the truck, commenting that there was no police containment. A group of young women in their 20s, with glitter on their faces, left the event early, noting that it had given them festival vibes.
The rhetoric blaring from the loudspeakers during the demonstration often seemed martial, but didn’t quite match the event’s actual course. A police officer summed it up by stating that the left-autonomous scene is a thing of the past. Gone are the days of black-clad Autonomes engaging in street battles with the police on May 1st. The police reported that there were few incidents or outbreaks of violence on Wednesday evening. The police estimated around 11,600 participants in the demo, while organizers claimed there were 25,000 to 30,000. The event was heavily policed, with over 6,000 officers on duty throughout the day, including reinforcements from other states and federal police.
Berlin’s police chief, Barbara Slowik, praised the peaceful nature of the 6 pm protest march and approximately 20 other demonstrations held that day. While there were some disruptions and arrests, she noted that there was no large black bloc present this time, but rather many pro-Palestine demonstrators. Many young people wore black and white-patterned Palestinian scarves, chanting “Free, free Palestine” and displaying Palestine flags and anti-Israel posters that read “No weapons for Israel.” The police noted a heightened emotionalization related to the Middle East conflict, with occasional antisemitic chants observed.
Scenes along the procession route seemed more surreal than tense, with police marching alongside demonstrators while shisha bars were filled with patrons enjoying tea and falafel. Fireworks were set off on rooftops and within the demonstration, with one resident unfurling a German flag on a balcony. Despite being relatively calm, there were some instances of dangerous behavior, such as fireworks thrown at police and verbal confrontation between protestors and law enforcement. The event concluded without any major incidents.
The demonstration route also featured flyers being handed out to invite participants to meetings of the “Last Generation,” though many ignored the man distributing them. The organizers had stated their solidarity with the people in Gaza and accused the police of infringing on their rights to freedom of expression and demonstration. The demonstration’s organizer, who is known to the police and has arranged similar events in the past, had previously organized a solidarity rally for a suspected RAF terrorist. The demonstration ended back at Südstern, with the event running smoothly overall.
