European Neo-Nazis celebrated Hitler's birthday anniversary in eastern France

Under secrecy, 200 neo-Nazis from France, Germany and Italy gathered last weekend in Otilingue village to celebrate the 125th anniversary of Hitler's birthday.

The "private evening" was organized one day before the 125th anniversary of Hitler's birth, on April 20th 1889.

According to police, organizers had received permission from the mayor to rent the parish hall of the village of 700 inhabitants, situated on the border between France, Germany and Switzerland, to celebrate "a birthday, without giving further details".

"The mayor was unaware of the neo-Nazi character of the gathering. He rented the room without knowing the purpose of the organizers", added the same source.

Police stated that it was informed of the gathering the same evening, after having received some preliminary information from the French side, which were confirmed by German authorities. "Everything became known at night. When we arrived, people had already entered the room", he said.

Police stated that they were present "on the outskirts of the village and out of the room", without verifying the peoples' identities.

"From a legal standpoint, it would be complicated to cancel the night. The aim was to maintain the peace and tranquility of the village", they added.

The night had been announced through the Internet many months earlier. The booklet that came with the announcement stated that during the evening, many rock bands would play, without stating the time and place of the meeting, and only pointing to a web address.