This weekend, Europe’s eyes were on Denmark as it played host to the yearly Eurovision Song Contest. Bizarrely enough, it was the same week that Copenhagen city municipality decided to green light the capital’s first official nazi demonstration since the Second World War. On May 10th, around 40 ultra right-wing radical members of the Danish National Front set up shop outside Parliament. Sporting propaganda-banners and Danish flags, they hurried around preparing to give speeches.

One skinhead had even brought his acoustic guitar along, but before he could strum a single chord, counter demonstrators rained on their parade; riot police quickly formed a circle around the right-wing protesters as the anti-fascists increased in numbers. Not long after 3PM, some 200 masked anti-fascists stormed the square and got to throwing bottles. The leader of the Danish National Socialist Movement, Esben Kristensen, pretty much had his ass handed to him before the police pulled out their truncheons and began forcing the demonstrators back.

To make sure that the right wing activists didn’t get completely pummeled, riot police escorted them to safety and sent them on their way. This only meant the trouble was scattered into the streets of Copenhagen. While families and tourists stood by stunned and speechless, packs of masked anti-fascists ran around the city looking for nazis to beat up. All the while, the police tried to get the chaos under control.

By the end of the day, 13 anti-fascist rioters had been arrested for throwing bottles – one of which will most likely face prison time.  Twenty one right-wing radicals were later arrested for public disturbance on a train leaving Copenhagen.