The world seems to be a peaceful one, at least judging by the number of people who came to the traditional Easter march on Saturday. According to the organizers, the Munich Peace Alliance, it was just 1800; The police did not give their own estimate this afternoon. But of course the state of the world has long since ceased to be evident from the number of demonstrators. There should be millions who take to the streets for peace in times of war.
The peace demonstration begins on Saturday morning at Marienplatz. Brigitte Wolf from the left-wing faction in the city council says that every year it becomes more difficult for her to encourage the peace activists to keep going. The discord in the world is just so enormous. It’s not just the wars in Ukraine and Gaza that are covered in the media, there are many more that have almost been forgotten. Wolf cites Turkey’s attacks on Kurdish areas as examples, wars in Africa and Asia, and terror, such as the recent one in Moscow.
And in Germany? “The path to war capability,” says Wolf, “is already well traveled.” She alludes to a statement by Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD), who advocates for Germany to be “warworthy”. A demand that is repeatedly criticized on this day. Wolf calls on all those responsible to generally refrain from attacks on non-combatants, i.e. civilians. “We must resist the dehumanization of people.”
There are many different buttons on offer – not just with doves of peace.
(Photo: Catherina Hess)
It’s not too crowded at the start of the Easter March in Munich.
(Photo: Catherina Hess)
Peace activists in partner outfits listen to the speeches on Saturday.
(Photo: Catherina Hess)
Maria Feckl from the sponsoring group of the International Munich Peace Conference begins her speech with the motto of the Easter march: “Ceasefire now!” She relates this, among other things, to the Gaza war and addresses both sides of the conflict: “We condemn the terrible attack by Hamas and Islamic Jihad on October 7th on Israeli and international civilians. We condemn the murder and the rape and the hostage-taking. We stand in solidarity with the victims on both sides.” It calls for “an end to the terror and suffering of the civilian population in Gaza, the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel and the release of all hostages and political prisoners.” At the same time, Feckl appeals to the federal government: “Stop German complicity in war crimes! Stop arms deliveries to Israel immediately!” As long as the appeals of the Chancellor and the Foreign Minister are not followed by action, their words are “empty and ineffective.”
Maria Feckl also criticizes local politics, or more precisely: the city of Munich. This canceled the subsidy of 6,500 euros for the organizers of the peace conference, which takes place every year parallel to the security conference. This happened a week before the event. Feckl calls this an “attack on freedom of expression.” We will continue to fight for spaces in which “open and controversial discussions about peace prospects” are possible. There must also be discussion about pacifist and government-critical peace perspectives. “With hasty and excessive moral censorship, we leave the debate space to right-wing extremism.”
“Creating peace without weapons,” demands this participant.
(Photo: Catherina Hess)
Numerous posters will be held up on Saturday.
(Photo: Catherina Hess)
After the demonstrators marched to Gärtnerplatz and back, Linda Schneider from the Verdi union called for a “fight for democracy,” which was a “fight against militarization.” Like other speakers, Schneider praised Pope Francis for his call for a ceasefire in Ukraine. The widespread rejection of this call in politics and the media is “shocking”. At the same time, she praises the SPD parliamentary group leader in the Bundestag, Rolf Mützenich, for his similar initiative. And Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), who is cautious in Ukraine policy so as not to drag Germany into the war.
The former Bundeswehr officer Jürgen Rose calls for peace and disarmament by verbally arming himself. He praises the people who are protesting against “excessive armament madness” and “hysterical warmongering.” This requires courage, because these people are often defamed as “lumpen pacifists” “by numerous political and journalistic claqueurs of the war.” Conversely, these could best be described as “rogue bellicists”.
The most prominent “victim” of this “warmongering channel” is Pope Francis, says Rose. His call for negotiations in Ukraine is “extremely sensible”; this would be the opposite of a “cowardly capitulation”. Rose agrees with the Pope: Negotiating is the courage not to lead the country to suicide. The only winners in a war are the weapons suppliers. Rose condemns the fact that the pontiff is becoming “the target of the war-crazy sword believers” because of his appeal.
Rose also strongly criticizes NATO: the “most powerful and violent military alliance in history” is the “greatest threat to world peace.” It must be “disposed of” where it belongs: “on the rubble of history.” The few Easter marchers who are still standing on Marienplatz after three hours applaud loudly.