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Left-wing politicians Janine Wissler and Sahra Wagenknecht listen to a speech at the 2014 party conference
Photo: Hannibal Hanschke / picture alliance / dpa
The party leader of the left, Janine Wissler, has criticized the call by her party colleague Sahra Wagenknecht for a "peace rally" in Berlin with a view to the war in Ukraine.
"I regret that the party was neither asked nor informed about this call," Wissler told the newspapers of the Funke media group.
She herself will not take part in the demonstration.
The party leader warned Wagenknecht to clearly distance themselves from right-wing extremists.
"Organized right-wingers have no place at the demonstration," because "Never again war" and "Never again fascism" belonged inseparably together.
The rally called by Wagenknecht together with women's rights activist Alice Schwarzer is controversial.
The two had previously initiated a petition signed hundreds of thousands of times, in which they called on the federal government to rely on peace negotiations instead of arms deliveries to Ukraine.
The leaders of the Left Party kept their distance, while leading AfD politicians signed the manifesto.
Criticism from SPD and FDP
10,000 participants have registered for the peace rally, but the police expect more.
Demonstrations for peace and against arms deliveries are also to take place in other cities such as Bonn, Cologne and Mainz.
On Friday evening, however, on the first anniversary of the Russian attack on Ukraine, several thousand people demonstrated in Berlin for more support for the attacked country.
more on the subject
Missing demarcation to the right: Käßmann does not want to take part in Wagenknecht's "peace rally".
"Manifesto" by Schwarzer and Wagenknecht: The questionable alliances of the peace movement
Young Union and Young Liberals:Politicians collect signatures against Wagenknecht and Co.By Christoph Schult
The SPD parliamentary secretary Katja Mast accused Wagenknecht and Schwarzer of serving Russian propaganda with their action.
"The pictures of the demonstration on Saturday come in handy for Putin's propaganda," Mast told the Funke newspapers.
'She'll exploit the demonstration for her own purposes.
Everyone who is demonstrating on Saturday must know that.«
"Anyone who does not stand by Ukraine is on the wrong side of history," said Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) on Twitter.
He accused Wagenknecht and Schwarzer of playing down the Russian attack.
mpz/AFP