In a new report titled “On Europe’s Streets: Annual Marches Glorifying Nazism,” B’nai B’rith International and the Amadeu Antonio Foundation, alongside experts from across Europe, take a deep dive into the ongoing phenomenon, its legal implications and its effects on the public space and vulnerable communities.
Despite existing Europe-wide legal frameworks that ban Holocaust denial, gross distortion of the Holocaust and hate speech inciting to violence, these and many other marches persist with impunity.
Established far-right marches glorifying Nazism and fascism pose a particular threat to the public space. As the entries contained in the report show, these are an organized pan-European phenomenon, in which antisemitism and Holocaust denial and distortion are not only by-products, but core elements.
The report describes 12 of the most notorious annual marches and meetings that glorify Nazism and/or fascism and take place across the European Union. It does so by cataloging displays of hatred, tracking instances of cross-border networks among far-right groups and tracking trends in attendance and detailing reactions by authorities and civil society.
As the report details, national authorities of EU member states are not only allowed, but obliged to take action to criminalize the spreading of hatred and promotion of totalitarian regimes and ideologies. Even when appropriate laws exist, complaints concerning antisemitic incitement or Holocaust denial at the marches are often dismissed by prosecutors and judges. Where concerns have been taken seriously, and bans on marches have been instituted, they have rarely been effectively implemented.
Here you can read the full report: https://www.bnaibrith.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/AnnualMarchesGlorifyingNazism_Z105c.pdf
