News Item (e28e878c-6c84-dafa-2e1e-6791f943da0c)

(22 Apr 1978) notes: col print location: cologne, west germany. title: cologne anti fascists serviced date: 04/23/78 no: lnc92544 date shot: 04/22/78 length: 40 ft seconds: 1.04 sound: natsof date of arrival: film shows: large anti nazi rally in cologne calling for dissolution of organizations of former members of the "ss", various scenes of march in progress. lead in: about 25,000 people took part in an anti-nazi rally in the west german town of cologne on saturday (22 april) that police had feared might lead to clashes with extreme right wing groups. however, the rally passed off without incident. it was held under the slogan "against the rehabilitation of nazism" and coincided with a new drive of the west german government against new nazis. the government announced on wednesday (19 april) it will take legal action against militant new nazi cells and ban such nazi propaganda as records of hitler speeches and reprints of wartime nazi newspapers. former west german chancellor willy brandt in a statement on the eve of the rally said it is an exaggeration to speak of a new nazi danger, but he called for vigilance against extreme right wing activists. feet r/secs 4 0.06 ms pan around demonstrators 11 0.18 gv people beginning march waving banners and flags 15 0.24 gv elderly people carrying flags 18 0.29 ms elderly people wearing old concentration camp uniforms 21 0.34 ms old man & woman marching 26 0.42 gv demonstrators marching along street 31 0.50 ms banner in french pan to flag 34 0.56 ts marchers passing by with flags 40 1.04 ms old men with concentration camp uniforms, clapping & chanting, pull back commentary: the large demonstration was called by the association of people persecuted under the nazi regime and was supported by groups from several other european countries. the participants marched through cologne's downtown streets to hold their rally at the neumarket square. many of the marchers were elderly and some wore their old striped concentration camp uniforms. speakers demanded the dissolution of organizations of former members of the ss, the nazi elite force that ran the concentration camps, and a ban on reunions of ss units. "germany cannot be silent when former nazis speak up", maurice goldstein of belgium, chairman of the international auschwitz committee, told the rally. although no members of right wing groups attempted to interfere in the march as police had feared beforehand there has been growing concern in west germany over the activities of some extreme right-wing groups, notably the neo-nazis, who have succeeded in recruiting a growing band of active helpers. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...