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Germany's Ostermärsche 2025 Draw Thousands in Nationwide Peace Protests

Over 110 demonstrations call for disarmament and diplomacy as debates over pacifist demands and defense policy intensify.

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Ostermarsch in Berlin

Overview

  • More than 110 decentralized peace marches and rallies took place across 70 German cities, with thousands of participants, including 1,800 in Berlin and 1,000 in Hanover.
  • Key demands include ending Germany's rearmament plans, opposing U.S. missile deployment, advocating nuclear disarmament, and promoting diplomacy over military spending.
  • The demonstrations target the new government, urging a shift towards making Germany 'peace-capable instead of war-capable.'
  • Counter-demonstrations in Berlin highlighted divisions, with pro-Ukraine activists criticizing pacifist positions, carrying signs like 'Democracy must be defensible.'
  • Organizers report slightly increased participation compared to previous years, though turnout remains significantly lower than the movement's peak in the 1980s.