More than 500 far-right extremists attempted to march to the site of the prison where Nazi officer Rudolf Hess died

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Leftwing groups and Berlin residents have prevented more than 500 neo-Nazis from marching to the place where Rudolf Hess died 30 years ago.

Police in riot gear kept the far-right extremists and an estimated 1,000 counter-protesters apart on Saturday as the two sides staged competing rallies in the German capital’s western district of Spandau.

Far-right protesters had planned to march to the site of the former Spandau prison, where the high-ranking Nazi official hanged himself in 1987, but were forced to turn back after about half a mile because of a blockade by counter-protesters.

Berlin police tighten security for neo-Nazi march after Charlottesville attack Read more

After changing their route, the neo-Nazis, who had come from all over Germany and neighbouring European countries, returned to Spandau’s main station for speeches amid jeers and chants of “Nazis go home!” and “You lost the war!” from counter-protesters.

Authorities had imposed restrictions on the march to ensure that it passed peacefully. Organisers were told they could not glorify Hess or the Nazi regime, carry weapons, drums or torches, and could bring only one flag for every 25 participants.

Such restrictions are common in Germany and rooted in the experience of the pre-war Weimar Republic, when opposing political groups would try to forcibly interrupt their rivals’ rallies, resulting in frequent street violence.

Police in Germany say they generally try to balance protesters’ rights to free speech and free assembly against the rights of counter-demonstrators and residents. The rules mean that shields, helmets and batons carried by far-right and neo-Nazi protesters in Charlottesville are not allowed in Germany. Openly antisemitic chants would also prompt German police to intervene.

UK repeatedly pressed for Rudolf Hess's release from Spandau prison Read more

Neo-Nazi protesters on Saturday were frisked and funnelled through tents where police checked them for weapons, forbidden flags and tattoos showing symbols banned in Germany, such as the swastika. A number of far-right protesters emerged from the tents with black tape covering their arms or legs.

Organisers imposed a number of their own rules on the marchers: they were encouraged to wear smart, white shirts and were told not to speak to the media.

Among those demonstrating against the neo-Nazis was Jossa Berntje from the western city of Koblenz. The 64-year-old cited the clashes in Charlottesville and her parents’ experience of living under the Nazis as her reason for coming.

“The rats are coming out of the sewers,” she said. “Trump has made it socially acceptable.”

Hess, who received a life sentence at the Nuremberg trials for his role in planning the second world war, died on 17 August 1987. Allied authorities ruled his death a suicide, but Nazi sympathisers have long claimed he was killed and organise annual marches in his honour.

Those annual far-right marches used to take place in the Bavarian town of Wunsiedel, where Hess was buried until authorities removed his remains.