There are again a number of commemorative events and demonstrations to mark the anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Berlin. The Russian nationalist rocker group “Night Wolves” has also arrived.
The end of the Second World War in Europe 78 years ago was commemorated with the laying of wreaths and rallies in Berlin. The Russian embassy commemorated the killed Soviet soldiers at the Soviet memorials in the capital.
Ambassador Sergei J. Nechayev laid a wreath in Treptower Park on Tuesday morning. The delegation then moved on to the Soviet memorial in Tiergarten. Around 400 people took part, according to the police. Hundreds of people commemorated the fallen soldiers with a commemorative march from the Brandenburg Gate via Straße des 17. Juni to the memorial.
Russian flags and symbols were banned from the events. However, guests of the delegation were allowed to wear them, as the police emphasized. Such flags could therefore be seen at the event in Treptower Park. The people could have been assigned to the delegation during checks, a police spokesman said. He spoke of a “largely trouble-free course” of the events.
“Night wolves” had to give up flags
Sympathizers of the Russian nationalist rocker group “Night Wolves” who had traveled from the Czech Republic had to hand in their flags, the police spokesman said. Other members from Germany also arrived in Berlin at noon. The police spokesman explained that there was no closed approach for these “for traffic reasons”. The “Night Wolves” are seen as supporters of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The police fear tensions because of the Ukraine war and say they have around 1,300 officers on duty. As in the previous year, the authority originally wanted to ban Russian and Ukrainian flags, symbols and songs for the commemoration days on May 8th and 9th. However, the administrative court in Berlin initially lifted the ban on Ukrainian symbols in summary proceedings over the weekend – which the police accepted.
However, she successfully challenged another decision of the court, according to which the ban on Russian symbols should no longer apply. The Berlin-Brandenburg Higher Administrative Court (OVG) confirmed the police regulations in a general decree, according to which Russian flags and symbols are prohibited. However, this does not apply to Russian delegations. The administrative court then followed this decision on Monday evening in further proceedings, as a spokesman said on Tuesday.
Source: Stern
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