Demonstrators in Munich protest against the Ukraine war: "The survival of democracy is at stake"
Created: 02/27/2022, 20:13
By: Nadja Hoffmann
United under the Ukrainian flag: 5,000 people gathered at Stachus on Saturday to demonstrate against Putin's attack.
© Marcus sleep
In Munich, too, people took to the streets against Putin and his invasion war against Ukraine.
With the exception of one incident at the Russian consulate general, the weekend protests were peaceful.
Munich – Blue and yellow are the colors of Ukraine*.
But it was also the colors that shaped Munich* at the weekend.
The town hall shone in blue and yellow, as did the Allianz Arena.
A sign of solidarity with Ukraine.
At three large demonstrations, many Munich residents also showed what they think of the attack on Russia's neighboring country.
Munich: Broad front against the Ukraine war
In view of the bad pictures in the news, the mood on Saturday morning on the Stachus was depressed.
Many of the 5,000 demonstrators were shocked by the events and feared a war across Europe.
The people who come from the Ukraine feared for their homeland and their loved ones.
Just like Maryna Mudra, one of the organizers of the demo.
The 42-year-old grew up in Kiev and came to Germany 21 years ago.
Her father and many friends still live in Ukraine.
“My hometown is already experiencing bombing raids for the second night.
Civilians are being killed," she said.
For eight years now, Mudra and others have been organizing protests against the initially gradual invasion.
"This is no longer a conflict, this is war," she said.
"The survival of democracy is at stake." She is not alone in this fear.
Mila Shirokikh was also visibly upset: "My heart is broken," said the 60-year-old Russian with tears.
"I can't put all of this into words.
It's so terrible.
Putin is a killer.”
There were also protests in front of the opera on Sunday.
© Marcus sleep
Munich: Large demos against the Ukraine conflict were peaceful
Like the large demo at Stachus, a second protest on Saturday with 4,000 participants at the Feldherrnhalle was peaceful.
The peace movement had called for this.
In keeping with tradition, some speakers spoke of the fact that NATO was also an aggressor, that Germany had to withdraw from NATO and that no arms could be supplied to Ukraine.
This met with overwhelming disapproval.
The majority of the demonstrators moved on in front of the Russian Consulate General, at which bottles were occasionally thrown.
A window was broken.
A Munich (28) was arrested.
A vigil followed on Sunday at the opera, where thousands of people once again expressed their anger against Russia.
Many could not hold back their tears.
© Marcus sleep
Ukraine conflict: sympathy and actions in the surrounding area
Not only in the city of Munich, but in the entire distribution area of our newspaper, people showed their sympathy for what was happening in the Ukraine.
In Peißenberg, for example, the town hall was illuminated in blue and yellow.
In Fürstenfeldbruck, restaurateurs used social media on Saturday to call for donations for Ukraine.
A five-vehicle aid convoy was already rolling to the Polish-Ukrainian border early on Sunday morning.
"It was nice to see that the war in Europe is now the most important issue for everyone," reports Florian Weber, one of the initiators and city councilor (Die Party).
An employee of the Brucker cult pub Unterhaus is Ukrainian.
After the Russian attack, she traveled to the border to meet her family.
That's how things got rolling.
“We actually wanted to start with just one Sprinter first.
But the willingness to help was amazing,” said Weber from the road.
Meanwhile, the local branch of the Greens wants to set a special example in the Tegernsee valley.
On Wednesday afternoon he wants to move in front of the villa of the Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanow - the billionaire is considered a close confidant of Russia's ruler Putin and has temporarily lived in the magnificent villa on the Schorn since 2014.
The rally, it is said, will still be registered.
Merle Hubert/Nadja Hoffmann *tz.de and Merkur.de are offers from IPPEN.MEDIA
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