1000s of Germans protest against racism, capitalism

Thousands of demonstrators have staged a protest against racism and gentrification in the German capital, Berlin, on a traditional holiday known as the Walpurgis Night, Press TV reports.

Formerly celebrated in several European countries as a night for witchcraft, Walpurgis Night is now celebrated by people to show their anger at the symptoms of capitalism, which they identify as crisis and war.

More than 2,000 demonstrators took to the streets of Berlin on Wednesday to demand solidarity among the members of the working class and call for a European-wide struggle by workers.

“To fight against gentrification and… racism; that are the two main topics of the demonstration. In Berlin the rents for housing are rising massively and in some districts they have risen more than 50 percent in the past years,” Georg Ismael, from the League For The Fifth International (L5I), told Press TV.

Voicing out their solidarity with refugees, the protesters also sang songs about a world without borders.

Some 2,400 policemen were on duty in the city due to the fact that, ever since 1987, Berlin has seen violence before and during the 1st of May.

Stefan Redlich, a spokesman of the Berliner Police Department, also told Press TV about police strategies aimed at reducing violence during the traditional demonstrations.

“We are very strict against violence, so if there is violence, there is no more talking and we will do arrests. But, as long as it is possible we do talk,” he added.

Trains and Metro stations will be patrolled in order to control any untoward incident as well as to ensure the safety of thousands of people who will be on the streets of Berlin during the next days.