Thousands of people demonstrated and celebrated in Berlin the day before May 1st.

For the most part, the protests have been quiet, according to police.

At a demonstration by feminists in the Prenzlauer Berg district, however, the atmosphere was aggressively heated on Saturday evening.

Paint bags flew, discs were smashed and pyrotechnics ignited.

The police stopped the protest march several times.

According to a police spokeswoman, there were also attacks on emergency services.

There have been isolated arrests, the spokeswoman said.

According to the spokeswoman, around 1,600 police officers were on duty in the city on Saturday.

According to Interior Senator Iris Spranger (SPD), there were up to 6,000 police officers throughout the weekend, including those from the Federal Police and other federal states.

It is expected that on this Sunday, as in the past decades, on May 1st there will be outbreaks of violence by left-wing autonomists.

Violence also broke out in the Leipzig district of Connewitz beforehand: a barricade was erected there and set on fire.

According to the police, emergency services and the fire brigade were deployed and extinguished the fire.

A police spokeswoman said late on Saturday evening that three police vehicles had been damaged and at least one building had been contaminated by bitumen.

After that, the situation calmed down again.

An eyewitness reported that demonstrators threw cobblestones and bottles filled with tar at new buildings.

Glass containers were also overturned.

Senator for the Interior: Intervene massively in the event of riots

A whole series of demonstrations have been announced in Berlin this Sunday, at which a total of up to 50,000 participants are expected: from the main rally of the German trade union federation on Labor Day at noon to motorcycle or bicycle parades to protests against corona measures.

The police paid special attention to the demonstration by left-wing and radical left-wing groups entitled “Revolutionary May Day” on Sunday evening.

The demonstration is to go through the districts of Kreuzberg and Neukölln under the motto "Yallah class struggle - No war but class war".

5,000 to 20,000 participants and possible acts of violence are expected.

During this demonstration, there were serious riots last year, in which, among other things, garbage cans were set on fire and police officers were attacked.

"Of course we know that violence can and will most likely occur," said Interior Senator Spranger to RBB.

The police follow the strategy of the outstretched hand, but intervene “of course massively if there should be riots.” Demonstrations of the left spectrum have also been registered in Hamburg and Leipzig.

DGB: Distributing the burden of the pandemic more fairly

Meanwhile, on the occasion of Labor Day, the German Trade Union Confederation drew attention to the burdens on the population caused by the pandemic and rising energy prices.

“We need a fair distribution of the burden.

In addition to the measures that have been decided, we are demanding further relief for employees, pensioners and the unemployed in terms of energy prices," said Laura Pooth, Chairwoman of the DGB North, at an event in Flensburg.

With a view to the upcoming state elections in Schleswig-Holstein, she continued: “The future state government is facing major challenges and must act.

We urgently need a new start in terms of employment policy.” Pooth described a collective bargaining compliance law as absolutely necessary, with which the state takes collective bargaining agreements into account as a criterion for the award in public contracts.

In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the red-red coalition has set itself the goal of such a law.

The SPD parliamentary group leader in the Schwerin state parliament, Julian Barlen, emphasized the proposed legislation on Friday with a view to Sunday.

Ver.di announces strikes

The national chairman of the ver.di trade union, Frank Werneke, also called on the federal government to take action against the growing social divisions in Germany.

The gas price must be capped for normal and low earners, and the federal government must also introduce “mobility money”, Werneke demanded on Sunday at the May Day rally in Mainz.

"Some are getting richer despite Corona and the war, and at the same time the majority of the population is suffering from sharply rising prices," said the speech manuscript that was distributed in advance.

"Rich and super-rich" would have to be forced to make an "appropriate contribution to financing the common good" with a levy on large fortunes and a tax on capital income and large inheritances.

Werneke announced that the trade unions would not agree to a waiver of wage increases to slow down inflation, as demanded by employers and some economists.

He announced further nationwide strikes for the coming weeks.