Hells Angels & Bandidos: before enemies, now together for the hood

Status: 7:52 pm | Reading time: 4 minutes

rePolice helicopters could barely be heard when, at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, an estimated 1,600 members of the Hells Angels pulled up outside the Brandenburg Gate on roaring Harley Davidsons. “A lot,” a motorcycle policeman shook his head. Spectators and motorcycle enthusiasts whistled and clapped, many cell phones were aimed at cyclists.

After demonstrations and events against the federal government’s crown measures, the rockers were away from home in the capital this weekend. The Hells Angels had called the action under the slogan “Freedom is our religion.” The previously hostile Bandidos cyclists had announced their participation along with more than 70 “brothers”, some of whom also wanted to come from abroad. They could not be recognized in the sea of ​​angels from hell.

Rockers are no longer allowed to wear vests bearing their club’s insignia and symbols in public. Clubhouses should also not be recognizable from billboards. Even in the pool or sauna, club sign tattoos should stick. Anyone who does not comply should at least expect fines.

Rock clubs see the badge ban as a serious loss of power. “It always seemed very martial when large groups of people were driving through a city in the same robes and entering the bars. This behavior amounted to wearing a uniform and was intimidating and threatening in public, ”said an official.

The clubs in question had repeatedly demonstrated and sued against the ban. But Chamber III of the First Senate of the Federal Constitutional Court recognized the sentence as justified. The ban was only confirmed in August 2020.

The Hells Angels, also known as red and white because of their club colors, drove from Biesdorf to the Brandenburg Gate on their Harley Davidsons, the “bandits” joined them from Hohen Neuendorf. The final rally with several speeches took place at 6 pm The Federal Republic was compared with the former GDR, doubts were expressed that freedom of expression really prevailed. A high ranking member of the Hells Angels yelled “ACAB” at the end. This abbreviation represents the motto “All cops are bastards”, which means nothing more than: “All cops are pigs.”

A large contingent of riot police secured the event, including officers with knowledge of the scene from the Berlin State Criminal Police Office (LKA). In passing through the city, the rockers had previously been accompanied by traffic service officials so that there were no interruptions in traffic at traffic lights.

In addition, the usual hygiene rules, such as the mask requirement and distance regulation, apply to the participants. Police repeatedly asked people to wear the masks through a loudspeaker. When many cyclists did not comply and did not want to maintain a minimum distance, the police announced measures such as identity checks at 6.15 pm. Many of the rockers responded with whistles. Finally, two of the speakers asked the riders to adhere to the guidelines.

At 6.40pm, Germany’s most famous Hells Angel, Frank Hanebuth, ended the rally. The rockers serenaded him, the infamous leader’s birthday that day.

A few years ago the Hells Angels and Bandits would have been unthinkable. Time and again there had been bloody frictions, also in public, which had not only been fought with fists, but also with knives, baseball bats, ax handles and sharp weapons. In Scandinavia, even weapons of war such as grenades were used; Clubs in Berlin were sometimes like fortresses. Alarm systems, iron gates, and barbed wire cordoned off them.

The Bandidos lost power in 2010 when numerous members defected to the Hells Angels under the leadership of Turkish boxer Kadir P. He was extremely aggressive towards his group. He urged his followers to crack down on the former “brothers” of the Bandits. In the event of arrests and raids, they must resist the police and at the same time cover the officers with reports to disturb them. The names of uncomfortable officers were also ordered to be given when making phone calls. They wanted to give the impression that they were on the rockers payroll.

The Berlin security authorities had reacted with a slogan of zero tolerance and made life difficult for the rockers with many actions. Meanwhile, Kadir P. has been sentenced to life imprisonment for inciting the murder.

The banning of robes is supposed to be one more component in the fight against motorcycle crime. Because: As a Berlin official who knows the scene recounts, some Hells Angels groups continued to earn money illegally, for example extorting protection money: “They no longer wear their vests, but their victims still know who they are,” the official said.

However, the previous enmity between the Hells Angels and the Bandits seems to have settled. Bandidos spokesperson “Andy” told WELT: “We are separated in terms of color, but united in our cause and we will continue to fight for our right to wear our insignia.” For years there has been respectful cooperation between the clubs, including probably a consequence of increased pressure from the police.