DRESDEN, Germany, Feb. 16 (UPI) -- German neo-Nazis have succeeded in appropriating the anniversary of the World War II firebombing of Dresden as a symbol for their cause, analysts say.
This year's Feb. 14 anniversary saw the turnout of roughly 6,000 neo-Nazis, one of the largest such right-wing extremist gatherings in Germany since 1945. They were countered by about 10,000 anti-Nazi marchers, creating a confrontation that gave the neo-Nazis more attention than they deserve, say local newspaper editorials gathered Monday by the German magazine Der Spiegel.
"(The Dresden anniversary) creates for them a perfect stage for their hateful lies and propaganda and they can see the effects of their strategy, aimed as it is at creating horror and fear among reasonable people," the magazine quoted the conservative daily Die Welt as saying.
"Now that huge neo-Nazi gatherings have been banned (elsewhere), the right wing has adopted the capital of Saxony as its premiere march location," added the left-leaning Berliner Zeitung. "The citizens of Dresden must take action and can no longer leave it to their politicians to save their city's reputation."
Up to 25,000 people died in the Allied bombing raids of Feb. 13-14, 1945, experts say, which destroyed Dresden's once-beautiful city center.
