Berlin police arrest 100 during blocked neo-Nazi march

In Berlin, police blocked a planned neo-Nazi march in the Friedrichshain district on Saturday. The march was organized by right-wing extremists who wanted to demonstrate against left-wing politics. However, they were met with large counter-protests that prevented them from progressing. The demonstration started at the Ostkreuz train station but did not go far. Police deployed about 1,500 officers to keep the two groups apart. Around 850 neo-Nazis reportedly took part in the march, which was lower than the organizer's expectation of 1,200. Meanwhile, thousands of people protested against the march, with estimates of participation ranging between 2,000 and 5,000. Police reported several clashes during the event, with tensions rising at times. Some anti-fascist demonstrators tried to break through police barriers. Officers used pepper spray to control the situation. Around 100 arrests were made, with some individuals detained for not following a ban on wearing masks. Authorities also reported that three people were prevented from attending the march due to previous arrests for displaying illegal symbols. This event was the third neo-Nazi demonstration held since December, but participation has decreased over time.