On April 23, 2018, over 1000 skinheads, neo-nazis, and white supremacists descended on Ostritz, a small town on the German-Polish border, to attend the far-right festival known as ‘Shield and Sword.’ The two-day event, held to celebrate Adolf Hitler’s birthday, boasted a line-up of far-right attractions, including a rock concert with extremist and racist bands, political speeches, clothing stalls promoting far-right merchandise, and a mixed martial arts (MMA) tournament hosted by Germany’s far-right promoters.
The festival, which was organized by the far-right and ultranationalist National Democratic Party of Germany (NPD), shed light on how Europe’s violent neo-nazis are marketing themselves to a younger crowd in the hopes of expanding their appeal.