The march pushed the slogan “solidarity instead of exclusion - for an open and free society” following nearly a month of tensions boiling over into right-wing rallies and left-wing counter protests, that at times descended into violence.
“A dramatic political shift is taking place: racism and discrimination are becoming socially acceptable,” organizers of ‘Indivisible’ (Unteilbar) said in a statement. “What yesterday was considered unthinkable and unutterable has today become a reality.”
Tensions reached fever pitch in Germany after the death of a German man in Chemnitz who was reportedly stabbed by a Syrian and an Iraqi. Multiple xenophobic protests took place, with the largest seeing 6,000 neo-nazis and far-right supporters gather to rally against Germany’s multiculturalism and migrant culture.
Some 1,500 left-wing counter-protesters answered back, with protests tipping over into violence as fireworks and projectiles were hurled at each other. Police used water cannons to keep the near-rioting crowds under control.
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