A far-right demonstration in Germany has seen holocaust denial banners and Nazi symbolism displayed amidst clashes with counter-protesters.
The rally in Dresden saw elements of Germany’s far-right descend on the city to mark the 80th anniversary of the allied bombing of the city which left 250,000 people dead.
The march had seen thousands attend dressed in black clothing despite a ban on black apparel due to its association with the Nazis in the Second World War.
The protest culminated in a symbolic funeral for the victims of Dresden and other bombed cities which saw several holocaust denying banners displayed.
The banned Nazi Germany era anthem was also heard at the rally.
A banner displayed throughout the march read: “Before reconciliation comes truth – end the lies of history and anti-German propaganda,” an inference that the Holocaust was either fictional or exaggerated, both of which are demonstrably untrue.
The anniversary of the bombing has long been hijacked by Germany’s far-right who use it to dispel what they see as “myths” surrounding the Germans conduct between 1933 and 1945.
There were physical altercations between demonstrators and counter-protesters with more than 40 police vans and 1,000 officers deployed on the scene.
One counter-protester said: “There is a global uprising of fascism, including in Germany. We felt we had to come out to the streets.”
With thousands in attendance, there were numerous examples of people openly displaying support for the Nazi party, Hitler and German expansionism popular at the beginning of the 20th Century.
One self-proclaimed Nazi, dressed in a Hitler Youth told the Express.co.uk that he wanted to “kill a refugee” while also hitting out at Britain’s conduct of the Second World War.
The bombing of Dresden and other German and Japanese cities by Allied forces during the Second World War remains a fiercely debated topic to this day.
Some believe that the bombing was necessary to bring the war to an early conclusion and to target enemy centres of industry, while others believe that the act was a war crime and done with little military benefit.
The march comes just days after a terrorist attack by a failed Afghan asylum seeker in Munich killed a mother and two-year-old child and injured 35.
With Germany set to hold a general election on 23 February, the issue of immigration will play a key role. The Munich attack has brought the issue back into sharp focus.
It is projected that the far-right Alternative for Deutschland (AfD) will come second, making the party the official opposition for the first time since their formation in 2013.
