ANDRIA HALL, CNN ANCHOR: In Berlin, a neo-Nazi demonstration marked the anniversary of Hitler's march on Austria. But the fringe group was outnumbered by counter protesters and police. CNN Berlin bureau chief has more now on the struggle to keep a volatile situation under control</s>CHRIS BURNS, CNN BERLIN BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): On the day marking 62 years since Hitler annexed Austria, members of Germany's National Party, or NPD, showed their solidarity with supporters of Austrian far-right leader Joerg Haider. About 300 demonstrators protested the effort by Germany and the rest of the European Union to isolate Austria, calling the EU a dictatorship over national sovereignty. But the march was outnumbered by some 2,000 leftist counter demonstrators, some of whom clashed with riot police. Water cannons broke up some crowds that tried to reach the far-right demonstrators who marched through the heavily Turkish Kreutzberg (ph) neighborhood before arriving at Brandenburg Gate. About 1,500 officers were deployed to watch the march, which ran a gauntlet of whistles, insults and some rocks. No major injuries were reported. Police arrested a handful of protesters from both demonstrators for various infractions. Far-right support is higher in eastern Germany, where unemployment has risen to over 19 percent. The counter demonstrators held green balloons, calling for a Europe without racism. Brandenburg Gate, once the symbol of a divided Germany during the Cold War, was blocked again to keep the two demonstrations from reaching the other. But German authorities also wanted to avoid new criticism for the last far-right march, which did go through the gate two months ago. It was seen as the first Nazi-style march through the gate since World War II. In fact, officials first banned Sunday's march altogether, but an appeals court overturned the decision, citing freedom of expression, s difficult issue in a city where the past still haunts the present. Chris Burns, CNN, Berlin.
Neo-Nazi Demonstration in Berlin Marks Anniversary of Hitler's March on Austria