19 August, 2017
Neo-Nazis commemorate the 1987 prison suicide of Hitler's one-time deputy every year, but this gathering has drawn more attention after a far-right march in Charlottesville, Virginia this month that led to the death of a young woman and drew worldwide criticism.
BERLIN (AP) - Given Germany's grim history as the home of National Socialism and the efforts it has made since then to atone for its genocidal past, it might seem surprising that far-right extremists who glorify a dead Nazi official are allowed to march in his honor this weekend.
Police in riot gear kept the neo-Nazis and an estimated 1,000 counter-protesters apart as the two sides staged competing rallies in the German capital's western district of Spandau. Organizers were told they couldn't glorify Hess or the Nazi regime, carry weapons, drums or torches, and could bring only one flag for every 25 participants.
The exact rules differ according to the circumstances, but police in Germany generally try to balance protesters' rights to free speech and free assembly against the rights of counter-demonstrators and residents, he said.
Berlin police spokesman Carsten Mueller told The Associated Press the protests passed largely peacefully.
"I regret nothing", a banner held by demonstrators read during the neo-Nazi march.
Hess was an important figure during Adolf Hitler's era.
He was given a life sentence during the Nuremberg trials, a series of military tribunals held by the Allies which prosecuted prominent Nazis for war crimes.
He died in Spandau Prison on August 17 1987. Neo-Nazi theories claim that Hess was murdered and his followers consider him a martyr.
