On International Women’s Day, several thousand people took to the streets in Berlin. At midday, a demonstration by an alliance of trade unions and initiatives started at Oranienplatz in Kreuzberg and moved to the Brandenburg Gate. The police believe there were around 6,000 participants. According to the organizers, a total of 8,000 to 10,000 people came to the rally.
Among other things, they demand better living and working conditions for women. Many people carry homemade signs, some carry large banners. Accompanied by music, the protest march with people of all ages, including children, marches through the streets.
According to the police, not far from the Brandenburg Gate, around 4,000 people gathered for another meeting on the Unter den Linden street in the early afternoon. Several carried Palestinian flags. According to a police spokesman, a banned song was also played. Since this violated the requirements, the meeting management was asked to ensure that this did not happen again. An investigation has also been initiated, the spokesman said.
Several more demonstrations and rallies are planned in the capital until the evening. The left-wing radical scene has also registered demonstrations in Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg, each with several hundred people.
Lots of officers on duty
The police speak of a “quiet event”. According to the police spokeswoman, several hundred officers are deployed across the city to accompany the meetings. The traffic information center warned of disruptions, especially in Berlin-Mitte and Kreuzberg.
Unlike in neighboring Brandenburg, International Women’s Day is a public holiday in Berlin. It was first organized in Germany and neighboring countries on March 19, 1911, among others at the suggestion of the German social democrat Clara Zetkin. Since 1921 it has been celebrated annually on March 8th.
