Far-right rallies in Berlin expose divisions and extremist undercurrents
Three far-right demonstrations took place in Berlin over the weekend, drawing crowds with varying agendas. At the Victory Column, a protest led by controversial singer Xavier Naidoo attracted fewer attendees than expected, while neo-Nazis gathered in other parts of the city under revolutionary slogans.
Around 500 people joined Xavier Naidoo's protest at the Victory Column, well below the 10,000 initially registered. Speakers at the event, including far-right activist Michelle Gollan, promoted conspiracy theories, such as claims about the 'Epstein network' and antisemitic blood libel myths.
In Marzahn, roughly 160 neo-Nazis marched under the slogan *Our alternative is revolution*, organised by the far-right party *Der Dritte Weg*. Meanwhile, at Potsdamer Platz, another neo-Nazi demonstration featured figures like Thomas Wulff and Christian Worch, with some attendees openly displaying banned symbols. About 200 antifascist activists staged a counterprotest at the same location. Separately, up to 2,000 people attended a local *Review Protest* in Potsdam as part of a nationwide campaign. Another 700 gathered at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate, calling for the Federal Constitutional Court to review far-right political parties. Authorities have not released specific figures on how many participants at these events were deemed violence-prone or had prior criminal convictions. Reports also do not detail any concrete incidents or convictions from similar rallies in the past two years.
The weekend saw multiple far-right gatherings across Berlin, each with distinct messages and organisers. While some protests drew smaller crowds than anticipated, others reinforced the presence of extremist ideologies in public spaces.
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