Germans demonstrate against providing weapons to Ukraine, Israel
Date
10/6/2024 5:32:22 AM
(MENAFN) Thousands of demonstrators filled the streets of Berlin on Thursday to voice their opposition to Germany's arms deliveries to Ukraine and Israel, highlighting rising concerns over potential nuclear escalation. The protest, organized by a coalition of pro-peace and leftist groups, coincided with German Unity Day, which commemorates the reunification of West Germany and communist East Germany in 1990.
Participants in the rally carried a variety of banners featuring slogans such as “Peace,” “Never again war,” and “Diplomats instead of grenades.” Many protesters expressed solidarity with Palestinians, calling for an end to what they described as “occupation terror” in light of Israel's ongoing military operations in Gaza. Some demonstrators waved Russian and Palestinian flags, with one banner displaying the flags of Russia, Ukraine, and Germany, accompanied by the word “friendship.” Another sign criticized Chancellor Olaf Scholz, labeling him the “Bomb Chancellor.”
While organizers claimed that more than 40,000 people attended the protest, police estimated the turnout to be in the low five figures. According to reports from Deutsche Welle, the demonstration proceeded without significant incidents.
Among the prominent figures present was left-wing politician Sahra Wagenknecht, who recently established her own party, the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW). In her address to the crowd, she emphasized the importance of engaging in dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin to resolve the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. “I find it so annoying when people always come at us with their big morals saying you can’t talk to Putin for moral reasons,” she remarked.
Wagenknecht criticized the German government for its alignment with U.S. foreign policy and raised alarms about the potential deployment of American intermediate-range missiles in Germany. Her comments resonated with many in the crowd, who are increasingly concerned about the ramifications of military involvement in international conflicts.
The protests underscore a growing sentiment among segments of the German population advocating for diplomatic solutions over military interventions, reflecting broader anxieties about war and its consequences in a volatile global landscape.
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