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Berlin: About 13,000 people at Schwarzer Wagenknecht rally

2023-02-25T17:02:57.840Z


In sleet, thousands demonstrated in Berlin against arms deliveries to Ukraine and for peace negotiations. Among them leftists and peace activists, but also AfD officials and right-wing extremists.


Enlarge image

Wagenknecht and Schwarzer at the Brandenburg Gate

Photo: IMAGO/Andreas Friedrichs / IMAGO/A.

Friedrichs

The left-wing politician Sahra Wagenknecht has again called for a halt to arms deliveries to Ukraine, which has been attacked by Russia, and has called for peace negotiations.

It's about "ending the terrible suffering and dying in Ukraine," she said at a rally in Berlin.

At the same time, it is about making an offer to negotiate with Russia, “instead of munitions an endless war of attrition with ever new weapons”.

It is important to avert the risk of the war spreading to all of Europe and possibly the world.

This risk is "damn big".

Wagenknecht and the publicist Alice Schwarzer called for the demonstration.

Two weeks ago they published a "Manifesto for Peace" in which they called on Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) to "stop the escalation in arms deliveries" and called for a ceasefire and peace negotiations.

More than 640,000 people declared their approval of the »Manifesto« on the Internet.

According to police estimates, around 13,000 people took part in the »Rebellion for Peace« rally.

According to a police spokesman, the two-hour rally was quiet: apart from a few minor arguments, there were no major incidents.

Around 1,400 officers from Berlin and other federal states were deployed.

In addition to the rally, there were a few other demonstrations with a similar focus, at the same time a similar number of counter-protests.

Read the minutes of the event here.

Criticism of the lack of demarcation to the far right

The meeting and the petition by Wagenknecht and Schwarzer are highly controversial.

The two women call on the federal government to focus on peace negotiations instead of arms deliveries.

The leaders of the Left Party kept their distance and criticized the call for demonstrations because they had not been discussed with the party.

Left leader Janine Wissler had also warned Wagenknecht to clearly distance themselves from right-wing extremists.

Because leading AfD politicians signed the manifesto and also announced their participation in the rally.

The event therefore caused cross-party criticism: "Everyone who is sane wants peace in Ukraine," said Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) on Friday evening on ARD.

However, Wagenknecht and those following her wanted to sell something as peace that an "imperialist dictator" was forcing on Europe.

"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 the two initiators of the rally of playing down the Russian attack.

The Protestant theologian Margot Käßmann also renewed her criticism of the participation of right-wing groups.

This is "distressing," said Käßmann to the broadcaster Phönix.

"Apparently we have to accept that the right-wing scene around the AfD constantly wants to hijack actions." In the case of the manifesto, she didn't expect it.

Käßmann is one of the 69 first to sign the controversial »Manifesto for Peace«.

However, the commitment to peace and nationalism did not go together, Käßmann told the broadcaster.

Nevertheless, she did not want to be deterred by this development, Käßmann continued: "That's why I won't stay at home and say I no longer dare to go out on the street to speak my mind there."

The AfD has meanwhile made an offer to join Sahra Wagenknecht.

"I beg you, come to us," said Björn Höcke in Dresden.

His audience cheered.

Demonstrations for peace and against arms deliveries were also planned in other cities such as Bonn, Cologne and Mainz.

On Friday evening, on the first anniversary of the Russian attack on Ukraine, several thousand people demonstrated in Berlin for more support for the attacked country.

mgo/AFP/dpa

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2023-02-25

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