Thousands participate in ‘peace’ rally in Berlin (VIDEO)
On Saturday, approximately 12,000 individuals marched through the German capital to demonstrate against the federal government's policies. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Slogans condemning Germany's aggressive foreign policy and its arms supplies to Ukraine were prevalent at the demonstration.
Thousands gathered in Berlin on Saturday for a "peace and freedom" rally to protest against what was described as Germany's "belligerent" foreign policy and the continued supply of arms to Ukraine.
The rally was organized by the Querdenker (‘lateral thinking’) groups, which initially formed during the Covid-19 pandemic to protest against the German government's lockdown policies and overall response to the pandemic. The movement has since expanded to include other government critics. Some German media have described the movement as being filled with conspiracy theorists or having links to far-right groups.
The city police reported that around 5,000 people signed up for the march, while several local media outlets suggested the number of participants reached 9,000, based on law enforcement estimates. Many attendees carried blue flags with a white dove of peace, and various banners and placards with messages such as: “No US missiles on our soil!” “No missiles against Russia!” “No arms shipments to Ukraine and Israel!” and “Peace talks!”
Some demonstrators also held banners bearing the slogan “Create peace without weapons!” This phrase originates from the 1982 Berlin Appeal, a notable petition by two East German dissidents calling for disarmament.
The demonstration began at Ernst Reuter Square in central Berlin and concluded at Tiergarten Park for a rally that police estimated was attended by roughly 12,000 people. Protesters called for “regionality, direct democracy and limiting the power” of the government, which many claimed was run by “absolute idiots.”
A participant, Jörg, tweeted that the number of attendees was substantially higher than police estimates, asserting that the size of the crowd suggested there were around 30,000 people.
Some demonstrators also demanded the government take responsibility for what they viewed as unjust lockdown policies during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Participants called for Germany to be “capable of peace instead of being ready for war,” alluding to a statement by Defense Minister Boris Pistorius in June suggesting the nation “must be ready for war by 2029” while promoting military reform and a “new form of military service.” Pistorius had made similar statements previously, emphasizing the perceived threat posed by Russia.
During the rally, some speakers urged Germany to leave NATO. One speaker reportedly said, “We want a government that represents our interests and not that of the USA and big business,” as per local media. Thousands of protesters reportedly remained at the rally site into the early evening, with law enforcement estimating about 7,000 still there at that time.
The event remained largely peaceful, with only a few detentions reported by the police. Those detained had primarily violated rules on banned symbols, including the logo of the German Compact Magazine, which the country's domestic security service (BfV) has classified as extremist.
While this demonstration took place, several smaller counter-protests organized by various left-wing groups were also held elsewhere in the city on Saturday.
Anna Muller contributed to this report for TROIB News
Thousands gathered in Berlin on Saturday for a "peace and freedom" rally to protest against what was described as Germany's "belligerent" foreign policy and the continued supply of arms to Ukraine.
The rally was organized by the Querdenker (‘lateral thinking’) groups, which initially formed during the Covid-19 pandemic to protest against the German government's lockdown policies and overall response to the pandemic. The movement has since expanded to include other government critics. Some German media have described the movement as being filled with conspiracy theorists or having links to far-right groups.
The city police reported that around 5,000 people signed up for the march, while several local media outlets suggested the number of participants reached 9,000, based on law enforcement estimates. Many attendees carried blue flags with a white dove of peace, and various banners and placards with messages such as: “No US missiles on our soil!” “No missiles against Russia!” “No arms shipments to Ukraine and Israel!” and “Peace talks!”
Some demonstrators also held banners bearing the slogan “Create peace without weapons!” This phrase originates from the 1982 Berlin Appeal, a notable petition by two East German dissidents calling for disarmament.
The demonstration began at Ernst Reuter Square in central Berlin and concluded at Tiergarten Park for a rally that police estimated was attended by roughly 12,000 people. Protesters called for “regionality, direct democracy and limiting the power” of the government, which many claimed was run by “absolute idiots.”
A participant, Jörg, tweeted that the number of attendees was substantially higher than police estimates, asserting that the size of the crowd suggested there were around 30,000 people.
Some demonstrators also demanded the government take responsibility for what they viewed as unjust lockdown policies during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Participants called for Germany to be “capable of peace instead of being ready for war,” alluding to a statement by Defense Minister Boris Pistorius in June suggesting the nation “must be ready for war by 2029” while promoting military reform and a “new form of military service.” Pistorius had made similar statements previously, emphasizing the perceived threat posed by Russia.
During the rally, some speakers urged Germany to leave NATO. One speaker reportedly said, “We want a government that represents our interests and not that of the USA and big business,” as per local media. Thousands of protesters reportedly remained at the rally site into the early evening, with law enforcement estimating about 7,000 still there at that time.
The event remained largely peaceful, with only a few detentions reported by the police. Those detained had primarily violated rules on banned symbols, including the logo of the German Compact Magazine, which the country's domestic security service (BfV) has classified as extremist.
While this demonstration took place, several smaller counter-protests organized by various left-wing groups were also held elsewhere in the city on Saturday.
Anna Muller contributed to this report for TROIB News
