Several hundred neo-Nazis gathered on Friday for a two-day festival in Ostritz, Germany, to celebrate Nazi leader Adolf Hitler's birthday.
Participants wore shirts with slogans such as "Keepers of the Race," "White is my favorite color," and "Adolf is the best." A group calling itself the "Aryan Brotherhood" guarded the event, which was expected to attract Polish and European extremists.
The festival included far-right speeches and music, and was organized by the NPD party's Thorsten Heise. Last year, NPD, which is openly anti-Semitic, avoided a legal ban due to its small size and limited influence.
Police patrolled nearby, backed with armored vehicles and water cannons. Polish police, located just across the border, also stepped up patrols.
Two counter-demonstrations were held in different parts of the city, attempting to block the neo-Nazi gathering's ability to expand and deter it from holding another gathering in the city.
Local resident Michael Schitt said his community did not want their town used for the protest.