The Russian motorcycle club “Night Wolves” will not get permission to ride through Berlin in their planned commemoration of the advance of the Red Army during 1945. German news paper Die Welt reports that according to the Berlin police, the motorcycle club has not yet applied for permission to Berlin authorities, but when they do, they will face a rejection.
The “Night Wolves” are a Russian motorcycle club which takes interest in political, social, and religious life in Russia. The members are staunch supporters of President Vladimir Putin, and Putin is said to be a longtime fan of the gang. In December 2014, the US announced sanctions against the “Night Wolves” due to their members’ involvement in the conflict in eastern Ukraine on the side of the separatists.
Several hundred members of the club plan to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Soviet victory of Nazi Germany by riding from Moscow to Berlin through Belarus, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria. The bikers will thus trace the path of the Red Army in its advance to the Germany capital in 1945.
Polish Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz called the rally a “provocation” and said it would be up to Polish border guards to decide if the Russian bikers will be allowed to enter the country. She called for measures to be taken against the bikers if they compromise the safety of Polish citizens in any way. A petition calling to ban the biker rally attracted 4,000 signatures in Poland.