Thousands gather in Berlin to show solidarity after Halle attack

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FILED - Participants of a demonstration against racism and exclusion, to which the alliance has called #unteilbar, walk through the city with a banner. Photo: Sebastian Willnow/zb/dpa

Several thousand protesters gathered in central Berlin on Sunday to show solidarity against anti-Semitism and right-wing violence after a terrorist attack left two dead in Halle last week.

Under the motto “Not even an inch: Death to anti-Semitism and racism,” demonstrators met at the Bebelplatz public square in front of Humboldt University in the heart of the German capital.

Organizers from the Unteilbar (Indivisible) initiative, who called the large demonstration along with other groups, said 10,000 people had registered to take part. A spokesman for the group said the protest march from Bebelplatz would begin at 2 pm (1200 GMT).

Two people were killed Wednesday when a man attempted to carry out a massacre at a synagogue in the eastern city of Halle where around 50 people were gathered for Yom Kippur. He has confessed to the crime and admitted having a right-wing extremist and anti-Semitic motive.

A similar demonstration was also planned in Halle on Sunday.

A march through the eastern city’s centre was being organized with those from the doener kebab shop where a 20-year-old man was killed. After the march, demonstrators will hold a rally where people can speak out about the attacks and where music will be played in honour of the two victims – the man as well as a 40-year-old woman.

Several thousand people also demonstrated in cities across Germany on Saturday against right-wing extremism in light of the attack.

In the western city of Marburg, some 3,000 people turned out for a march, while in northern Hamburg, 1,200 demonstrators showed up.