Peace movement strong than ever: 40,000 protest in Berlin!

Von WOM

in Berlin took place on Thursday afternoon with the motto “never again war”, which numerous people attracted. Among the participants could be seen by peace dust, rainbow flags and the red flags of the left and the DKP. Palestinian flags were also swiveled, while speeches such as “Free Palestine” were in the air. The organizers report “well over 40,000” participants, while the police give a “lower five -digit number”. The atmosphere was strongly reminiscent of the peace movements of the 1980s in West Germany.

Gesine Lötzsch, a prominent politician of the left, encouraged from the stage in the zoo that the peace movement was alive again. Co -organizer Reiner Braun expressed the hope that this demonstration could give an impetus for a new great movement that would make the country more peaceful. He reminded of his many years of protest history against military interventions and emphasized that the current developments could also offer approaches to return to diplomacy.

peace icon Wagenknecht in focus

Sahra Wagenknecht, founder of the party Die Linke, attracted the most attention with her speech and received the greatest applause. She clearly spoke out for peace and diplomacy instead of arms deliveries in both Ukraine and the Middle East. In doing so, she sharply criticized the German coalition government, which in her view blindly follows Washington's instructions. "We have to prevent these damn rockets," she said, and spoke out against the planned stationing of US medium-sized missiles in Germany from 2026.

This rocket debate is heading after Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Washington Announced has that Germany needs these weapons for “deterrent” to counter the supposed threat from Russia. Critics, on the other hand, pointed out that such steps could lead Germany to the target and a new arms race.

split opinions on stage

A strongly controversial speaker of the day was Ralf Stegner from the SPD. When he addressed Ukraine's right to self -defense and the need for air defense for Ukrainian cities, he was received with whistles and boos. The crowd spoke to him the W of "Warrior", which made his position extremely uncomfortable among the participants.

The tensions within the SPD were also noticeable when Michael Roth, a foreign politician of his party, criticized Stegner. Roth pointed out that the party was "lured into a trap" by the argumentation of Wagenknecht and the AfD and that it was important not to undermine the concept of peace through national or populist approaches.

On stage, however, the tone of emotional emphasis and strong political rhetoric remained unbroken. The speeches dominated topics such as the "genocide" in the Gaza Strip and the support of Palestine. A speaker even addressed legal steps that Nicaragua against Germany wants to initiate in the Gaza Strip for his political support.

towards the end of the event, the crowd started a song: "We Shall Overcome". This was a clear reference to the old protest traditions, and the demonstrators celebrated their hope of peace and international solidarity.