In several East German states, thousands again demonstrated against energy policy, inflation and the consequences of the Ukraine war. According to preliminary police information, around 7,000 demonstrators took to the streets in more than 15 cities in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on Monday evening.
In Schwerin and Neubrandenburg, speakers called for, among other things, an energy policy that people could afford and affordable living costs. With a view to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, several demonstrations called for peace negotiations, a freeze on arms deliveries to Ukraine and a lifting of sanctions against Russia.
Almost 2,400 demonstrators were counted in the state capital of Schwerin. According to the police, the number of participants in Saxony-Anhalt was also more than 1000 in several cities – for example in Magdeburg and in Halle. The Ministry of the Interior announced exact figures for Tuesday.
Protests mostly quiet
Posters in Magdeburg this Monday said, among other things, “Stop the gas delivery lie”, “We will not save the whole world” or “Stop price explosions for peace, freedom and prosperity”.
In Thuringia there were demos in Gera, Jena, Erfurt and smaller towns, in Saxony in Chemnitz, Leipzig and Dresden, among others. The police initially did not give exact numbers about the participants in the evening. However, the protests were largely calm, said a police spokesman in Saxony. In Chemnitz, some demonstrators carried Saxon or Russian flags. A large banner said “Chemnitz stands up. Truth – Freedom – Peace”.
The protests have recently become particularly popular in East Germany. According to police estimates, more than 100,000 people demonstrated on the Day of German Unity at dozens of rallies in Thuringia, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.