Police in Thuringia halted two of the three bands from performing at a far-right rock concert on Friday.

A police spokesman said the bands didn't adhere to conditions put in place by authorities for the controversial musical show in the village of Themar, 180 kilometers (111 miles) northeast of Frankfurt.

The band Sturmwehr (Storm Forces) played a banned song, while Unbeliebte Jungs (Unpopular Boys) played a track that was not on the list which they submitted to authorities prior to the concert.

As a result, police banned both groups from performing at "Tage der nationalen Bewegung" (Days of National Movement) until Sunday.

"Organizers have decided to exclude the band 'Sturmwehr' on suspicion of a criminal offense. We are enforcing the measure and are accompanying the band from the premises," Thuringia police said in a Twitter message.

A third band was allowed a short performance at the concert.

On Saturday, about 400 counter-demonstrators protested the continuation of the event, as police confiscated barrels of beer and six-packs from participants, who had been warned not to bring alcohol.

Organizers said they were expecting about 1,000 people to show up, but police counted only about 700 on Saturday afternoon.

Read more: Report: Number of neo-Nazi rock concerts on the rise in Germany

Strict conditions

Security was beefed up in Themar ahead of the far-right rock concert this weekend.

Police are cracking down on banned neo-Nazi symbols or playing of the controversial extremist songs.

Watch video 26:03 Share Quadriga - Germany's Neo-Nazis - To Ban Or Not To Ban? Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/1I71B Quadriga - Germany's Neo-Nazis - To Ban Or Not To Ban?

Authorities also imposed restrictions on alcohol consumption at the concert. Police even monitored a petrol station where the concert-goers were able to buy booze during previous concerts.

At least 400 people showed up at the Friday evening concert, while 800 to 1,200 people are expected to attend the show on Saturday.

Far-right surge

Far-right groups regularly hold rock concerts in eastern Germany, where their support is relatively higher than other parts of the country.

In December last year, German police shut down a far-right concert in Ostritz, a small town in the eastern state of Saxony, after members of the crowd started chanting the Nazi salute "Sieg Heil" (Hail Victory).

Read more: Germany: Far-right revelers attack police and reporters at rock festival

In April 2018, hundreds of neo-Nazis gathered in the same area to participate in a festival timed to coincide with Nazi leader Adolf Hitler's birthday.

Far-right groups in Germany have witnessed a rise in popularity since the start of a refugee crisis in 2015.

The fatal stabbing of a German man, allegedly by asylum-seekers, in the city of Chemnitz in August 2018, triggered violent far-right protests across Saxony.

Read more: Violence in Chemnitz: A timeline of events

Thousands attend Chemnitz concert against racism #wirsindmehr More than 65,000 people turned out for the #wirsindmehr (literally "we are more") concert in Chemnitz to protest against neo-Nazi violence. Speaking at the start of the show, organizers said they wanted to show there was "no place in Chemnitz for Nazis." The lineup included a mix of local Chemnitz bands and was headlined by one of Germany's most famous punk bands.

Thousands attend Chemnitz concert against racism A response to the far-right The concert came after days of far-right anti-migrant protests took hold of the eastern German city following the death of a 35-year-old German man. Daniel H. was stabbed to death in the early hours of Agust 25, allegedly by a Syrian and an Iraqi national.

Thousands attend Chemnitz concert against racism 'Love instead of hate' Punters waved colorful signs with messages of welcome and love as they walked into the concert. The show opened with a minute of silence in honor of Daniel H., while volunteers collected donations to be split between the victim's family and anti-racism initiatives in Chemnitz.

Thousands attend Chemnitz concert against racism 'You're not alone' The line-up catered for what was a mostly young crowd, with acts including punk act Feine Sahne Fischfilet, rappers Trettman and Marteria & Casper, and indie rockers Kraftklub. "We're not naive. We're not laboring under the illusion that you hold a concert and the world is saved," said Kraftklub singer Felix Brummer. But it's "important to show that you're not alone," he added.

Thousands attend Chemnitz concert against racism Campino in Chemnitz One of Germany's most famous punk bands, Die Toten Hosen, headlined the show. "This is not about the fight between right and left, it's about basic decency," said lead singer Campino. "And it is very important to stop this conduct while it is a snowball and before it becomes an avalanche," he added.



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