Ten thousand people took part in a demonstration in Berlin on Saturday against the supply of weapons to Ukraine for the war with Russia, drawing criticism from senior officials in the German government, as the police were deployed heavily to maintain order.
The protest, co-organised by a prominent left-wing German politician, comes a day after the first anniversary of the start of the war in Ukraine. On this occasion, Western allies pledged to supply Ukraine with more weapons and to impose new sanctions on Russia, and many around the year showed solidarity with Kiev.
“We call on the German chancellor to de-escalate arms shipments. Now!…because each passing day costs us up to 1,000 lives and brings us closer to a third world war,” protest organizers in Germany said on their website.
Zara Wagenknecht, a member of the German Left Party, participated in organizing the “Uprising for Peace” demonstration.
One of the banners carried by one of the demonstrators read, “Negotiate and do not escalate,” while another banner read, “It is not our war.”
A police spokesman said that ten thousand people gathered to demonstrate at the famous Brandenburg Gate in central Berlin.
The police mobilized 1,400 personnel to maintain the peace and enforced a ban on military uniforms, Russian and Soviet flags, Russian military anthems and right-wing symbols.
The demonstrators demanded negotiations with Moscow instead of handing over weapons to Ukraine.
