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Anti-war demo in Munich: peace doves and Russian flags
Photo: KAI PFAFFENBACH / REUTERS
Around 40 heads of state and government met this Saturday for the Munich Security Conference in the Bayerischer Hof.
Meanwhile, several thousand people gathered in the streets to protest.
Overall, the police reported more than a dozen demonstrations in the Bavarian capital.
At Königsplatz alone, officials counted around 10,000 protesters.
They took part in an action by the “Munich is rising” alliance, which had protested against corona measures during the pandemic.
Only 4,000 had registered. In the afternoon, the participants walked through Schwabing, although according to the police, it was initially very quiet.
According to the information, around 2,700 people came to the traditional demonstration of the "action alliance against the NATO security conference" at the Stachus.
About 300 of them formed a human chain in the direction of Marienplatz, the others ran across Odeonsplatz to Marienplatz.
At the Odeonsplatz itself, the officials counted around 1,000 people who had gathered under the motto »Together against the war«.
According to the "Süddeutsche Zeitung", mainly blue and yellow Ukraine flags were flying there.
The people called for support for their homeland, which had been invaded by Russia, in Ukrainian, English and German.
The Munich-based newspaper also reports on a difficult situation between the participants in the various demonstrations.
When the protest march of left-wing Siko opponents passed Odeonsplatz, it got loud.
"Go to Putin," the pro-Ukraine demonstrators shouted at them.
The participants in the counter-demo passed quietly.
According to the SZ reporters, however, outraged shouts could be heard again and again from the ranks of those flying the yellow and blue flags.
Some Ukrainian women began to cry when they saw the posters: "Negotiate instead of shooting" or "100 billion for the climate instead of disarmament" were on them.
Disputes at AfD demo
In addition to the larger demonstrations, a number of smaller gatherings also took place.
Most initially remained without major incidents, as a police spokesman said in the afternoon.
Only in the course of the planned meeting of the AfD district association in Munich-East, according to the information, did clashes occur.
Almost 250 people were at the same time as about 300 counter-demonstrators in the same place, the police kept the two groups apart to prevent an escalation.
At the international meeting of experts, 40 heads of state and government and almost 100 ministers will discuss how the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine can be ended.
The annual meeting is traditionally accompanied by demonstrations and protests.
Around 4,500 officials from Bavaria and other federal states as well as 300 federal police officers are on duty around the conference.
kry/dpa
