German court upholds ban on far-right march in Berlin

Germany's supreme court on Saturday confirmed a ban on a march in Berlin by the far-right National Democratic Party (NPD).

The Federal Constitutional Court in the city of Karlsruhe decided to ban the march, planned for Saturday, a police spokesman said in Berlin.

Berlin authorities announced the ban on Friday, claiming that the far-right march with the motto "Against Islamic centers in the city" was not protected by German constitution.

About 700 leftists took to streets in Berlin Saturday morning to march against the NPD.

Some 1000 police were assigned nearby to ensure there was no NPD rally in defiance of the ban.

The NPD picked up 9 percent of the vote in last week's state elections in Saxony and gained seats in state assembly for the first time since 1968.

Source: Xinhua