At the traditional Easter marches of the peace movement, thousands of people demonstrated nationwide for negotiations to stop the Ukraine war. According to the Peace Cooperation Network, there were campaigns in around 70 cities, including Berlin, Bonn, Bremen, Duisburg, Hanover, Leipzig, Munich, Stuttgart and a number of other places.
The rallies also called for an end to German arms exports to Ukraine, which had been attacked by Russia, and for the announced upgrade of the Bundeswehr to be abandoned.
According to estimates by the organizers, who did not yet have a final nationwide overview by the afternoon, around 2,000 people took part in Berlin alone, around 1,200 in Hanover and several hundred in Bremen, Munich, Cologne, Mainz and Leipzig. The police spoke of 1500 participants for Berlin.
In the call for the Rhine/Ruhr Easter March, for example, it was said that the federal government and the EU had to make serious efforts to “peace negotiations without preconditions”. They also said no to the supply of tanks and other heavy weapons, which further escalated and prolonged the war. The Bonn appeal said: “Even if Ukraine has the right to defend itself, more and heavier weapons are not a solution, but fuel this war.” Russia attacked its neighbor at the end of February 2022.
Banners and posters in Berlin read phrases like “Peace, heating, bread instead of weapons, war and death” and “NATO is the aggressor – peace with Russia”.
More than 120 campaigns over Easter
In Leipzig, co-organizer Torsten Schleip said: “For us, an immediate ceasefire and the start of negotiations are the better alternative to further arms exports and escalation to the point of a nuclear exchange of blows.” There are critical words in all directions, Schleip emphasized: “We are not a Putin-understanding demo.” Banners said “Create peace without weapons” and with a view of the Leopard battle tank “Put Leo on the chain”.
According to the Peace Cooperation Network, more than 120 actions were planned nationwide from Thursday to Monday.
Left co-boss Martin Schirdewan told the German press agency with regard to the Easter marches that despite the controversial discussion about the conflict, there must be a clear positioning of the peace movement as a whole. That means “international solidarity” with Ukraine, which has been attacked in violation of international law, and a “clear condemnation of the Russian war of aggression”. At the same time, the left-wing politician criticized the federal government’s “unilateral focus” on arms deliveries and the training of Ukrainian soldiers.
