Protests in Germany: ‘Lay Down Your Arms – No to War’

The following is from a report in the Oct. 4 German daily newspaper jungewelt.de about antiwar actions in Germany. Translation: John Catalinotto.

Peace activist Willi van Ooyen of the Ukraine antiwar initiative called “Lay down your arms – No to war” reported about protests by the peace movement:

Placard reads: NATO out of Germany, Germany out of NATO. Berlin, Oct. 3, 2023.

“The Ukraine Initiative ‘Lay Down Your Arms – No to War’ has joined the call of the Vienna Peace Conference for a global mobilization week from Saturday, Sept. 30, to Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023, to demand an immediate ceasefire and peace negotiations to end this war in Ukraine.”

In Hamburg, because of the nationwide celebration of the “Day of German Unity,” a larger demonstration of the peace movement took place. More than 700 people took part in today’s rally in Hamburg in front of the Altona train station followed by a march to the fish market in pouring rain.

In Munich, 2,500 people gathered in sunny weather on Marienplatz under the slogan “Mir reicht’s – Macht Frieden” (“I’ve had enough – make peace”).  On Odeonsplatz, more than 300 peace activists said, “It’s high time for peace politics! Organize resistance against militarism and war!”

More than 300 people responded to the call of the Rhine-Ruhr Peace Assembly for a protest demonstration against the air force command center in Kalkar/Uedem.

In Berlin, more than 800 people marched from the Foreign Ministry to the Finance Ministry, then to the Social Democratic Party (SPD) headquarters, demanding disarmament — and no further arms deliveries to Ukraine.

In Düsseldorf, more than 300 rally participants called for “winning the peace, not the war.” Other events took place in Saarbrücken, Schorndorf and Heidelberg.