Rallies for peace in Ukraine have taken place in the French and German capitals a day after the anniversary of Russia’s invasion. On Saturday, thousands of people gathered in Berlin to oppose the German government’s decision to ship weapons to Ukraine and to demand an end to the conflict through peaceful negotiations. The protest’s organizers were called out before it even started for allegedly minimizing Ukraine’s right to defend its land from Russian aggression and failing to differentiate themselves from the extreme right and far left, both of which have shared pro-Russia sentiments.
Sahra Wagenknecht, an opposition legislator from the ex-communist Left party, stated that neo-Nazis had no place at the protest but that everyone “with an honest heart” who sought peace was welcome. Several protesters carried signs reading “Americans go home” and using the logo of a far-right publication, despite the fact that the majority of signs supported more mainstream left-wing beliefs. The Soviet flag was waved by some. The German government, Wagenknecht claimed, was out to “ruin Russia,” and he suggested that a “offer” be made to Moscow destroy order to revive peace negotiations. One of the organizers, renowned feminist writer Alice Schwarzer, said that the moment had come to go beyond traditional political ideologies. Together, the two ladies have started a petition that claims to have over 645,000 supporters. Both she and Wagenknecht received boos anytime they brought up Annalena Baerbock, the German foreign minister, who has vigorously supported the transfer of armaments to Ukraine. The demonstration’s organizers claimed 50,000 people showed up, although police estimated about 13,000. The rally took place near Berlin’s famous Brandenburg Gate. Among those there was Berlin-based professor Konstantin Schneider, who acknowledged that nations in Eastern Europe were wary of Russia. When asked about Putin’s war on Ukraine, he answered, “Of course [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is an idiot.” Instead of stating there’s nothing to discuss, we should discover creative ways to end the conflict. Many smaller counter-protests occurred. Thousands of people protested Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine on Friday across Europe.
On Saturday, several hundred people gathered in Paris’s Place de la Republique to sing the Ukrainian national song before a parade was led by youngsters costumed in traditional Ukrainian garb. Olaf Scholz, the chancellor of Germany, stated in a recent television interview that he does not believe peace negotiations are possible at this time. Scholz said on public radio station ZDF, “We need to realize that the Russian president now accepts only one kind of discussions, which is that [Ukraine] capitulates completely and he accomplishes all of his ambitions.”
