Slogans criticizing Germany’s belligerent foreign policy and arms supplies to Ukraine were heard at the rally
Thousands of people took to the streets of Berlin on Saturday for a “peace and freedom” demonstration to protest against what was called Germany “belligerent” foreign policy and the country’s continued supply of weapons to Ukraine.
The event was organized by the so-called Querdenker (‘lateral thinking’) groups, a movement initially formed during the Covid-19 pandemic to protest the German government’s lockdown policies and overall response to the pandemic. It has since absorbed other critics of the government. Some German media outlets have referred to the movement as being rife with conspiracy theorists or having links to far-right groups.
About 5,000 people registered for the march, according to city police. Several local media outlets put the number of participants at 9,000, citing police estimates. Many people carried blue flags with a white dove of peace, while others held banners and signs that read: “No American missiles on our soil!” “No missiles against Russia!” “No arms shipments to Ukraine and Israel!” or “Peace speaks!”
Some protesters also carried banners with the slogan “Create peace without weapons!” This phrase comes from the Berlin Appeal of 1982, an open petition drawn up by two East German dissidents calling for disarmament.
Starting at Ernst Reuter Square in central Berlin, the protesters eventually made their way to Tiergarten Park for a demonstration attended by around 12,000 people, according to police estimates. The protesters called for “regionality, direct democracy and limitation of power” of the government, which, according to many, was full of “absolute idiots.”
12,000 🤣🤣🤣🤣Nach dem Schwenk der Kamera kann man bis ans Ende der Hardenbergstraße vom Ernst Reuther Platz gucken. It’s 1km. Davor waren noch mindestens 4km Menschen, hinter uns kam noch mindestens 1km. About 5,000 people per km is 30,000, but there are still more. #b0308photo.twitter.com/Ym5eLZyGDb
— Jörg (@RuedemannJoerg) August 3, 2024
Some of the protesters still wanted the government “take responsibility” for what they believed were unfair lockdown policies during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Participants also demanded that Germany be “capable of peace rather than ready for war” in an apparent reference to a statement made in June by Defense Minister Boris Pistorius that the nation “must be ready for war by 2029” while advocating military reform and a “new form of military service”. The minister had previously made similar statements, citing the alleged threat posed by Russia in particular.
Some speakers at the rally called for Germany to leave NATO. “We want a government that represents our interests and not those of the US and big business,” one said, according to local media reports. Thousands of protesters were said to have remained at the protest site for many hours. About 7,000 people were still demonstrating by early evening, according to police estimates.
Leute, schaut auf diese Stadt! In Berlin, wird gerade Geschichte geschrieben. Die beste Querdenken Demo seit Aufzeichnung des Wetterberichts – GRÖSSER, BESSER und STÄRKER als je zuvor! #b0308#Berlinfoto.twitter.com/Lllevccab1
— Deutscher Schäferhund (@DeutscherSchfe3) August 3, 2024
The event was largely peaceful, with only a few arrests, police said, adding that most of those detained had violated rules on banned symbols such as the logo of German magazine Compact, which has been deemed extremist by the country’s internal security service (BfV).
Some smaller counter-protests organized by various left-wing groups were also held in the city on Saturday.