The "Revolutionary May Day Demonstration" is happening
In 2020, the annual radical left protest was cancelled because of the corona pandemic. Not this year.
Berlin-Leftwing protesters are planning to march through Berlin this May Day. The organisers of the "Revolutionary 1 May Demonstration" said Wednesday that an alliance of migrant groups will also take part in the anti-capitalist protest. The action will begin with a rally at Hermannplatz in Neukölln at 5pm. From 6pm, demonstrators will march along Karl-Marx-Straße and Sonnenallee to Oranienplatz in Kreuzberg.
A spokesperson for the alliance said since migrants help generate the wealth of Germany, 1 May should also be a day to express solidarity with people who live without work, papers or housing, who do unpaid housework and care work, or who are criminalised.
"Settling accounts" with the rich
Together with other groups calling for a "Revolutionary 1 May", the protesters aim to draw attention to the consequences of the corona crisis. "We want the rich to foot the bill for this crisis," said one of the initiators.
Last year, the annual demonstration on the evening of 1 May was cancelled because of Covid. Instead, there was a call for smaller protests with paint bags, banners and spraypainting in Kreuzberg.
The first protest was in 1987 and every year since leftwing radicals have clashed with the police on 1 May, especially in Kreuzberg. Over the years, though, the level of violence has by and large decreased.
