Several hundred people demonstrate at Easter marches in Berlin
Several hundred people took to the streets in Berlin during an Easter march by the peace movement. At Oranienplatz they protested for peace and disarmament. Posters say “Stop the armament mania” and “No weapons!!! No wars!!!”. A large dove of peace was mounted on a car roof. There are around 400 participants on site, said a police spokesman on Saturday afternoon.
In parallel, an alternative demonstration was held in view of the war in Ukraine. Ukrainian organizations and their supporters wanted to demonstrate at Bebelplatz against the Russian attack on the country. According to the police, around 100 people gathered there on Saturday afternoon.
In a call, the campaign was described as an “alternative Easter march”. It was criticized that the peace movement’s call for the traditional Easter march made no mention of Russian aggression and the right to self-defense. At Bebelplatz, for example, Ukrainian and Syrian flags were shown.
Easter marches are planned in German cities on Saturday. This time there were discussions about some of the demands of the peace movement, which traditionally advocates disarmament. The motto “Creating peace without weapons” is currently an arrogance towards the people in Ukraine, said former Bundestag President Wolfgang Thierse (SPD) to the Bavarian radio. “Pacifism at the expense of others is cynical.”