German city fights neo-Nazi graffiti with street art

BERLIN — Artists in the western German city of Dortmund have sprayed over neo-Nazi graffiti in a street that far-right extremists have long claimed as their territory.

Under the watchful eye of Dortmund police, the artists covered neo-Nazi slogans with colorful images in the city’s Dorstfeld district early Friday.

The move was commissioned by a civil society group called Association for Diversity, Tolerance and Democracy, and sanctioned by city authorities and police.

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City authorities said the far-right graffiti has been “a thorn in the eye” for years, used by neo-Nazis to “intimidate and scare away people who think differently.”

Seit heute Mittag sind die Arbeiten der Künstler*innen abgeschlossen. Statt „Nazi Kiez“ ziert jetzt ein „Our colours are beautiful“-Schriftzug die Emscherstraße in Dortmund-Dorstfeld. pic.twitter.com/LQ9fQW4I74

— David Peters (@dap_dortmund) September 6, 2019

The top security official in North Rhine-Westphalia state, Herbert Reul, said neo-Nazis “mustn’t be given a millimeter’s room.”

Dorstfeld has in the past seen numerous violent attacks by far-right extremists.