Neo-Nazi demo in Münster: Police strike back at brutal situation!

Neo-Nazi demo in Münster: Police strike back at brutal situation!

On July 5, 2025, Münster was marked by a stormy march: The “Siegfried Borchardt Circle of Friends” had called for a demonstration, which attracted various neo-Nazi groups, including the right-wing extremist micro-party “Die Heimat” (formerly NPD), to the city. The occasion? The preservation of the grave of Siegfried “SS-Siggi” Borchardt, a central figure in the neo-Nazi scene who was not only known as an official of the banned FAP, but also went down in history as the leader of the hooligan group “Borussenfront”. Neo-Nazis like to describe themselves as supporters of an authoritarian leadership state, as was the case in the Third Reich, and stylize their role models as heroes on social networks.

Borchardt, who died in 2021, is revered as a martyr in the right-wing scene. His grave inscription is the subject of delicate legal disputes in which the city of Dortmund recently objected to a ruling by the Gelsenkirchen Administrative Court. This ruled that the grave should not be anonymized in order to avoid turning the site into a place of pilgrimage for neo-Nazis. The organizers of the demonstration accuse the city of political delaying tactics and are trying to put pressure on the judiciary through their protest. While the police expected around 120 participants, the registration situation for the demonstration remained unclear as there was no official registration with the city of Münster.

Neo-Nazis versus anti-fascists

A massive police presence underlines the explosive situation; The security authorities were well equipped with cavalry squadrons, water cannons and drones. Hamburg grids secured the demo route while the police not only had a hard time keeping the neo-Nazi march moving, but also with anti-fascists who were staging counter-protests in the city. Around 500 people from left-wing groups, trade unions and anti-fascist organizations gathered to counter neo-Nazi activities. The willingness to use violence was a constant companion: there were violent attacks by the police and several counter-demonstrators were taken into custody. The anti-fascist movement criticized the police, who enforced the neo-Nazi march with massive protection and at the same time treated the counter-demonstrators repressively.

The situation was particularly precarious when the neo-Nazi demonstration had to be stopped briefly due to violations of the ban on masking. In the first two hours, the train only covered around 500 meters and had to be stopped at times due to paramilitary behavior from several participants. When the remaining neo-Nazi train started moving again around 5:45 p.m., numerous antifa activists followed, documenting and confronting them on their way back.

A constant topic in society

The wave of neo-Nazism keeps coming to the fore. In the long term, the neo-Nazis, characterized by nationalism, racism and anti-Semitism, are taking to the streets of Germany with a willingness to use violence, which has been reflected in violent attacks since the 1990s. Even today, after incidents like the NSU, the neo-Nazi movement in Germany should not be underestimated. The social debate about such marches therefore continually challenges civil society, as is clear from the example of the anti-fascist mobilization in Münster.

The dispute over Borchardt's gravestone and the associated publicity is therefore not only an issue for the courts, but also a focal point in local politics and civil society. The question remains: How will cities and their citizens deal with this right-wing extremist movement, which is planning such violent demonstrations in the future?