Thousands of people demonstrated in the German capital Berlin on Thursday against the wars in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip, German media reported.
A crowd of demonstrators marched from different parts of the city and gathered at the Victory Monument in the city centre.
Under the slogan: “War, never again – Lay down your arms!” the demonstrators also protested against Germany’s arms deliveries to Ukraine and Israel.
Banners and placards read “Who doesn’t go to war, wants war,” “Peace,” “No to war,” “Give peace a chance,” “Diplomats instead of grenades,” “Bread and roses instead of bombs and death,” and “German weapons, German money, killing all over the world.”
Sahra Wagenknecht, co-chair of the newly formed left-populist party Bundnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW), called for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine.
To great applause, Wagenknecht said that Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) is a security threat to Germany. She also added:
And we are here today to stop her. For her, anyone who starts a war is a criminal. But please, no double standards. If Putin is a criminal, what about all the American politicians responsible for the many wars of recent years?
The politician said:
Those who are silent about the war crimes committed in the Gaza Strip, who are silent about the deaths of 40,000 people, 20,000 of whom are children, should not come to me saying they are moral. No, this is hypocrisy. This war must also end.
She stressed that people should not remain silent about the endless provocations of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government in Israel, and said they do not strengthen Israel’s security, on the contrary, “they endanger many people in Israel because they can lead to a barbaric war there.”
Berlin “blindly following what someone in Washington says”
A two-state solution that takes into account the interests of all sides is needed, she said, or the war will not end. She accused Berlin of “blindly following what someone in Washington says” and criticised the deployment of US missiles in Germany.
Ralf Stegner, a member of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD), told demonstrators about Ukraine’s right to self-defence and the benefits of air defence systems provided to Ukraine. The demonstrators booed him.
Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since an attack by Palestinian group Hamas on October 7 last year, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire.
Since then, nearly 41,600 people, mostly women and children, have been killed and more than 96,200 others have been injured, according to local health authorities. Israel has been accused of genocide by the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.
