An annual celebration for some, an annual right of passage for others, May Day (May 1st) is traditionally a day of organized demonstrations by millions of working people and their labor unions throughout much of the world. It's not celebrated in the USA or Canada so I wasn't familiar with the history.

Here in Germany it was declared a national holiday by the Nazi government in 1933. In East Germany workers were required to participate in state-organized parades on May Day. For the past 25 years Berlin's Kreuzberg neighborhood has been host to annual riots sparked by massive street rallies led by workers, their trade unions, anarchists and various communist and socialist parties. In the past few years far right groups and neo-nazis have also publicly demonstrated, leading to clashes with left wing protesters.

In recent years violence has been on the decline. But this year with the world's economic problems and public services dwindling, Kreuzberg, it's fair to say, had its share of violence.

I had a great day enjoying the beautiful weather, sitting in the park, wandering the huge street fairs, listening to music and dancing in the streets. I made a wrong turn going home and ended up in the middle of the worst of it. I'd never been in a riot before. Tear gas, flying bottles, angry mobs of youth. I'm glad I saw it with my own eyes because I wouldn't have believed how the police acted. They were dangerously aggressive. I can understand their fear (so many were so young, just out of basic training and they were the minority) but they blocked off exit points, corralled people into corners and charged. I'm always amazed at what you ARE allowed to do here (drink on the streets etc) but when the Polizei mean business, they, like so many in so many countries, play dirty.

By 8:00am the next day the streets were perfectly clean and all evidence of the chaos had been washed away.

Thanks Wikipedia