German neo-Nazis march in Dresden to tune of Finlandia
The approximately 5,000 extreme right-wing demonstrators who took part in a protest in the city of Dresden on Sunday marched partially to the sounds of Finlandia by the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. The demonstration coincided with the official commemorations for the 60th anniversary of the massive allied bombings of Dresden.
The right-wingers played the entire Finlandia over speakers set up in the city.
In addition to Finlandia, the neo-Nazis also played works by Richard Wagner, Carl Orff, and Bedrich (Friedrich) Smetana.
Officials at the Finnish Embassy in Berlin were appalled by the use of Sibelius’s music in that connection.
In a letter sent to the organisers of the protest, the Embassy denounced the use, and demanded that this kind of misuse of the music should stop. Officials at the Embassy believed that the demonstrators picked Finlandia on the basis of having listened to it, without knowing its main significance.
The official commemoration of the bombing reportedly attracted about 50,000 people.
The event was meant as a gesture of reconciliation. Many candles were lit, forming a human slogan with the sentence "Dresden hat Nazis satt" ("Dresden has had enough of Nazis").
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 16.2.2005 - TODAY |
 German neo-Nazis march in Dresden to tune of Finlandia |
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