Germany: Rival activist groups to protest in the Neukolln area of Berlin April 25

Event

Rival activist groups plan to protest in the Neukolln area of Berlin the afternoon of April 25. Activists denouncing COVID-19 restrictions will gather in Gropiusstadt from 14:30, before possibly marching through the area. Due to the regular presence of far-right activists at anti-lockdown protests in Germany, counterdemonstrators plan to gather at Bat-Yam-Platz from 14:00. Attendance across the two actions will likely be in the hundreds.

Additional police will deploy to monitor the protest and keep rival activist groups apart. Large crowds and associated security measures will likely prompt localized transport disruptions in the protest area; public transport services may be canceled or diverted. Current COVID-19 measures in Germany place restrictions on public gatherings. Police may preemptively ban the protests or attempt to disperse activists if they are deemed to be breaching these restrictions; police may arrest non-compliant participants. Isolated clashes between protesters and police or rival groups of activists cannot be ruled out.

Advice

Avoid the protests as a routine security precaution and to mitigate associated disruptions. Heed instructions from security services and leave the area at the first sign of a confrontation. Check for transport disruptions and allow extra time for travel in the protest area the afternoon of April 25.