Friday, May 2
Revolutionary May Day: Up to 18,000 take to the streets in Berlin
The day began calmly, with around 5,500 people joining a demonstration organised by the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) calling for better working conditions. At the same time, a satirical protest dubbed “My Gruni” marched through the wealthy neighbourhood of Grunewald, featuring a fake rocket launch, Backstreet Boys covers, and slogans demanding wealth redistribution.
At Görlitzer Park, an estimated 18,000 people gathered under the slogan “Rave against the Zaun” to protest plans by the Berlin Senate to fence off the park at night. DJs played, families picnicked and by the evening, police declared the park 97.5% full and urged others to stay away.
The most high-profile demonstration – the Revolutionary May 1 march – began at 18:00 at Südstern, drawing around 22,000 participants, including pro-Palestinian groups and various other leftist organisations. While the mood remained largely peaceful, there were a few incidents: pyrotechnics were set off, some officers were hit with thrown objects, and several arrests were made for use of banned slogans and attempted prisoner liberation. A masked participant also read a solidarity message from jailed ex-RAF member Daniela Klette.
The police had shadowed the demonstration with a large number of officers stationed around the event, carefully monitoring the crowd for any signs of unrest.
