Anniversary of Rudolf Hess's death - 17th August

Yesterday, 17th August, was the anniversary of the death of Rudolf Hess - the deputy leader of Adolf Hitler's Nazi party.

Various neo-nazi groups like to celebrate this anniversary. And so they did in Munich yesterday evening. As posted earlier: Anti-fascist demo on Marienplatz

Usual story. Around 50 "Rechtsradikale" standing around flying their NPD flags. The group protected by double barricades and a line of police in riot gear.

Beyond the barricades, the anti-Nazi protestors flying Israeli flags, blowing whistles, and shouting chants like, "Ihr könnt nach Hause gehen", "Nazis raus", and "Deutsche Polisisten schützen die Faschisten".

Was anyone else there?



Photo by Orthodoxgypsy @ Flickr.com - note this is a photo from a neo-nazi march in Munich last summer, not from last night's demo.

Previous TT topics about Neo-nazi marches in Munich: May 2005, April 2005, November 2005

Just goes to show how important it is to show presence tomorrow at the demonstration. As the famous painter Max Beckmann said when he saw the Nazi torch march on 30 January 1933, "Ich kann gar nicht so viel fressen wie ich kotzen möchte". (I can't eat enough to puke as much as I want)

I've noticed a few small bill posters with pictures of Hess emblazoned with the title 'Mord' (Murder) along Bayerstrasse (near EPO)... presumably put up by neo-nazis who are convinced that Hess was murdered (possibly just after the Russians agreed to his being released), and did not commit suicide. The idea that he committed suicide at the age of 94 does seem mildly ridiculous, imo.

are we not talking about the guy who nabbed a plane and flew to england parachuted out and hoped to negotiate a peace deal? ridiculous ideas were his forté i'd say.

I do not know all the details of his trip to Scotland (?), but if it was his idea secretly to attempt to make a deal with Churchill (with the prospect of a very possible imminent Russian invasion of Germany foremost in his mind), I can sea some rationality behind his mission.

Granted though ... his sanity was questioned (at least officially) at Nuremberg - perhaps that's why he 'got away' with a life sentence.

anybody who willingly goes to scotland has to be treated with straight jackets to be honest.

Didnt the English do that en masse on a number of occasions?

actually, he flew to Scotland. It's a different country from England don't you know.

EDIT: didn't see the messages that followed, sorry

Hey -

There seems to be ANOTHER demonstration today - the Police who are putting
up barracades on Maximillian Str. said that the NPD is expected today - any
news on this?

Demonstrations and counter demonstrations

thanks Pootle - got the scoop

I was there with my mom, the police presence was incredible, I'd never seen anything like it. And as my mom pointed out, most of them were 'hot stuff'. No but seriously, we hung around for a while but didn't get to see any nazis. A disappointment. I still don't know what one looks like.

I heard they come out at night