Left-wing groups kick off protests in Germany

Thousands of left-wing protesters marched through Berlin’s Kreuzberg district, under heavy police presence, against capitalism, arms exports and racism as part of annual May Day demonstrations.Some 1,500 protesters had started from Oranienplatz square at 6pm (1600 GMT) for the so-called Revolutionary 1st of May Demonstrations, with more joining as marchers made their way through the district.Multiple masked demonstrators wearing all black made up the front of the march.Firecrackers were set off as participants waved flags through the rising smoke.Flags of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) could be seen here and there throughout the crowd.The ongoing Turkish campaign against the Kurds in northern Syria played a role in unifying left-wing extremist groups more than in previous years.Police action during the G20 riots in Hamburg also had some worried that there would be more chaos than usual on May 1.Based on violence from previous years, 5,300 officers from Berlin and elsewhere in Germany were deployed across the capital, though things had remained relatively calm so far on the unusually cold May night.Police chief Barbara Slowik told German broadcaster RBB that she was satisfied with the day’s events thus far, though she had warned that police intend to act forcefully against any crimes committed.Most rallies for International Workers’ Day pass off peacefully in the German capital, but riots have been known to occur in Kreuzberg on May 1 since 1987, with extremists and rioters attacking police.Police had earlier set up barriers to prevent vehicle traffic, as well as large plastic tanks to prevent potential vehicle attacks.While the riots have become less violent in recent times, extra caution was being urged this year.Interior Senator for Berlin Andreas Geisel also told RBB that he was satisfied with the demonstrations, after last week predicting that the situation is perhaps a bit more difficult than last year.