© REUTERS/Christian Mang[1/5] People take part in a protest against the delivery of weapons to Ukraine and in support of peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Berlin, Germany February 25, 2023.
A demonstration against supplying Ukraine with weapons for war with Russia attracted 10,000 people on Saturday, drawing criticism from top German government officials and a large police presence to maintain order.
Organised by a prominent left-wing German politician, the protest comes a day after the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which drew promises of
more weapons from western allies,
fresh sanctions against Russia and
shows of support for Kyiv across the globe.
"We call on the German chancellor to stop the escalation of arms deliveries. Now!...Because every day lost costs up to 1,000 more lives - and brings us closer to a 3rd world war," the protest's organizers said on their
website.
© REUTERS/Christian MangPeople take part in a protest against the delivery of weapons to Ukraine and in support of peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Berlin, Germany February 25, 2023.
The "Uprising for Peace" was
organised in part by Sahra Wagenknecht, a member of Germany's left-wing Die Linke party.
Germany, along with the United States, has been one of the biggest suppliers of weapons for Ukraine."Negotiate, not escalate" one sign held by a demonstrator said, while a banner in the crowd read "Not our war".
A police spokesperson said 10,000 people gathered around Germany's symbolic Brandenburg Gate in central Berlin.
Police mobilised 1,400 officials to keep the peace and to enforce bans on military uniforms, Russian and Soviet flags, Russian military songs and right-wing symbols.
The police spokesperson said
there was no sign of right-wing groups attending and that the protest, which German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said must be "clearly opposed", was peaceful.
"Whoever does not stand by Ukraine is on the wrong side of history," Lindner said on Twitter.
Comment: Lindner confirms the earlier speculation that anyone not parroting the government narrative, fueling the fire of war, is in opposition to the current government in Germany.
The following report is from a protest that occurred in Italy a week ago, with footage of another protest today:
"From Tuscany bridges of peace not flights of war" is the banner that opened the procession which was attended by a few dozen people from all over Tuscany and which from the Pisa airport marched to the entrance of the military airport to to ask for "a halt to arms shipments to Ukraine and an immediate diplomatic solution to the conflict".
The demonstration took place peacefully with the support of Usb, Potere al Popolo and the PCI, but also of some workers of the Pisan airport and the port of Genoa. "We want to reiterate - said Marta Collot, national spokesperson for Potere al Popolo - our no to war. We are here a year later, when the workers of the Pisa airport denounced the use of the civilian airport for sending weapons, disguised as humanitarian aid. Citizens' awareness is growing ever stronger - continues the spokeswoman - the majority do not want to send weapons and this is also demonstrated by the strong abstention in the last regional elections. We must stop this escalation that is bringing us on the brink of World War III".
According to Cinzia Della Porta (USb Toscana), "we are in the square with the workers to launch the national demonstration in Genoa on 25 February, called by some port workers who played a fundamental role in blocking the shipment of weapons". "We see more and more an increase in containers full of weapons - says Josรฉ Nivoi, union delegate Usb port of Genoa - the law 185 of 1990 says that it is forbidden to send weapons from Italy to those countries that use the act of war as a final resolution ".
Comment: Lindner confirms the earlier speculation that anyone not parroting the government narrative, fueling the fire of war, is in opposition to the current government in Germany.
The following report is from a protest that occurred in Italy a week ago, with footage of another protest today: