Under the motto “Social issues up, armaments down”, Verdi called Munich and the region together with the “Education and Science” union and the “Munich Peace Alliance” for a peace demonstration on Odeonsplatz.
Protesters cover a wide spectrum
Completely different groups came, from biker clubs to left-wing activists or people with rainbow flags. Some of the approximately 1,500 participants also carried politically charged national flags and signs, for example with the inscription: “Stop it Genocide in Gaza” oder “Free Palestine”.
Palestinian groups are causing irritation
There was already discontent in the run-up to the demonstration: the “Palestine Speaks” alliance had advertised the peace demonstration with a poster and their slogans, including Verdi’s logo. “We distance ourselves from this very clearly because they have an anti-Semitic tendency,” explained Harald Pürzel, the chairman of Verdi Munich and the region. The fact that around a dozen Palestine and several Lebanon flags were flying at the peace demonstration did not meet with Verdi’s enthusiasm, Pürzel continued in an interview with BR24.
Verdi is concerned with the “goal of a long-term disarmament policy”
“Nationalism is always a driving force for war. If people didn’t think nationalistically, fewer wars would occur.” If there were anti-Semitic slogans during the demonstration, the police would take care of it, which is why he had already been in contact with the head of operations, the Verdi chairman explained shortly after the demonstration began. With the call for the demonstration, Verdi was concerned with the long-term goal of a disarmament policy. “Of course this cannot be solved overnight,” said Pürzel. “We are against any one-sidedness here and we don’t even want to discuss the question of guilt in the various conflicts here. Our demand is that politicians and the Federal Republic work to ensure that weapons are used wherever warlike conflicts are currently being fought around the world be laid down.”
