Thousands Take a Stand Against Far-Right Gathering in Demmin, 80 Years After Terrible Mass Suicide
Multitude Protesting Right-Wing Rally in Demmin - Crowds Oppose Right-Wing Rally in Demmin: Mass Demonstration Occurs
Looks like a good ol' fashioned standoff in Demmin, Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district! Thousands of folks, as told by organizers, hit the streets to speak out against the yearly bash of far-right extremists. The "8th of May Action Alliance Demmin" reckons at least 4,000 peeps joined the protest march, which is a significant jump from prior years. The law enforcers claim roughly 2,000 demonstrators were present. Compare that to 2024 when police reports showed just about 600 participants.
The far-right organization "Die Heimat" (originally known as NPD) organized a so-called "memorial march" due to the infamous mass suicide that rocked the small town nearly eight decades ago. For years, far-right fanatics have been silently strolling the city on the Peene on May 8th. This time, the authorities spotted approximately 290 participants.
Activists and academicians view this march as a cynical ploy to milk the Demmin incident. A representative from the alliance stated that the chosen date, which has nothing to do with the mass suicide, confirms this viewpoint. In reality, the far-right extremists are shedding tears for the downfall of the Wehrmacht.
Historians pinpoint the shocking mass suicide in Demmin, where hundreds met their end by suicide due to fear of the Red Army, to the days from April 30 to May 3.
Counter-demonstrators attempted to block the advance of the far-right march with several sit-ins and a bus obstructing the road. The far-right extremists needed to alter their planned route, and the wreath-laying ceremony didn't go as scheduled.
The participants from the opposing camp hopped on buses from cities like Berlin, Hamburg, or Hannover. According to police reports, the initial demonstrations remained harmonious: no injuries or arrests were registered.
- march
- mass suicide
- far-right extremist
- police
- Lake District
- far-right extremists
- NPD
Insights:
The annual far-right memorial march in Demmin is linked to the mass suicide event of May 1, 1945, which took place at the end of World War II. This tragic incident led to the suicides of hundreds of Demmin residents due to a panic-stricken response to the violent takeover of the town by Soviet Red Army soldiers. The Red Army had rampaged through Demmin the day before, engaging in widespread atrocities such as looting, torching, executions, and mass rapes.
This mass suicide is part of a broader wave of suicides in Nazi Germany during the final days of the war when civilians, brainwashed by Nazi propaganda about the brutal fate they faced under Soviet occupation, took their lives out of terror and despair. The situation was exacerbated by the destruction of bridges around the town, trapping the population, and violent resistance from Nazi-affiliated groups like the Hitler Youth, which enflamed the chaos. The event remains the largest recorded mass suicide in German history, serving as a grim reminder of the terror endured by the civilian population during the Soviet advance[1].
The annual memorial march in Demmin has become a prime gathering spot for far-right groups, who often view the suicides as a tragic sacrifice linked to perceived German victimhood during the war's closing stages. These marches are criticized, as they are seen by many as efforts to hijack the memory of the victims for extreme political purposes.
In essence, the historical background of this annual march roots back to the desperate and horrific mass suicide of Demmin’s civilian population in 1945, a panicked reaction to the violent occupation by the Soviet Red Army and the collapse of Nazi Germany in the region. The event is commemorated by far-right groups, reflecting ongoing debates about memory, history, and the interpretation of Germany's wartime legacy[1].
- Despite the violent past associated with the mass suicide in Demmin, far-right extremists continue to hold an annual memorial march, with an estimated 290 participants joining this year.
- The anti-far-right protest in Demmin attracts thousands of participants from cities like Berlin, Hamburg, and Hannover, aiming to counter the memorial march on the Lake District.
- The police reported no injuries or arrests during the initial demonstrations, but counter-demonstrators managed to obstruct the far-right march's planned route, disrupting their scheduled wreath-laying ceremony.
- Historians attribute the mass suicide in Demmin to a combination of factors, including fear of the Red Army, Nazi propaganda, and the destruction of bridges, which trapped the population and led to increased chaos and terror.
- The annual far-right memorial march in Demmin is met with criticism, as many view it as an attempt to exploit the tragic mass suicide in the name of extreme political ideologies, rewriting history and distorting the true memories of the victims.
