Neo-Nazi march in Germany blocked by protestors

A Neo-Nazi March in Mainz, Germany on Saturday was met by thousands of anti-racism protestors.

According to police, clashes broke out between officers and some of the demonstrators. The counterprotestors outnumbered the Neo-Nazi group and were able to break up the planned gathering.

Around 50 members of the far-right New Strong Party (NSP) had gathered for a protest - around half the number the party claimed would attend. They were met by 3,000 counterprotestors, made up of labour unions, church groups, political parties and antiglobalisation activists.

The NSP members were chanting "Nazi city Mainz" and "Revolution now", before being prevented from advancing. Clashes then took place between police and NSP members, with police using pepper spray. The NSP then moved to another part of the city.

Earlier on the same day, Mainz Mayor Michael Ebling spoke to a gathering of counterprotestors at the railway station and denounced the planned NSP gathering. He said: "They should take their brown backpacks, pack them up and start their journeys back home", whilst also warning of the danger of underestimating the threat from the extreme right.

The Interior Ministry of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, where the gathering took place, said the group was "obviously neo-Nazi."