Several thousand people gathered at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin for a rally for negotiations with Russia on the Ukraine war. German left-wing politician Sahra Wagenknecht and women’s rights activist Alice Schwarzer called for the demonstration. The police spoke of 10,000 participants some time after the demonstration began.
demonstration in berlin
A dpa reporter reported large crowds on both sides of the Brandenburg Gate – despite hail and cold. Some participants carried flags with doves of peace.
high level of security
Police were deployed with 1,400 troops amid rallies surrounding the Russian attack on Ukraine. Several smaller counter-demonstrations, with double-digit numbers of participants, were also recorded in the vicinity of the Brandenburg Gate.
With the rally, Wagenknecht and Schwarzer want to reinforce their demands for dealing with Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine. Two weeks ago they published a “Manifesto for Peace” in which they urged German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) to “stop the escalation of arms deliveries”. The women’s rights activist and left-wing politician calls for a ceasefire and peace talks with Russia. Critics accused Wagenknecht and Schwarzer of being “naive”.