Delivery employee labels Baerbok as a potential safety risk
Crowds flooded the streets of Berlin for the "No More War" rally, with Sahra Wagenknecht's speech generating a wave of applause. However, SPD politician Ralf Stegner encountered disapproval during his discussion on Ukraine's right to self-defense.
Colors of peace doves, rainbow flags, red flags of the Left and DKP, Palestinian flags, and chants of "Free Palestine": They were all present at the "No More War" demonstration held at Berlin's Siegessäule in the afternoon. "We see today that the peace movement is alive," proclaimed Left Party politician Gesine Lötzsch from the stage in the Tiergarten. The organizers estimated around "more than 40,000" individuals in attendance. Police, though, did not confirm the numbers and only mentioned a "five-digit figure".
"Create peace without weapons" was the message displayed on signs, and "Leave NATO". It felt as if the 1980s protests in West Germany were being revisited. The organizers hoped for a resurgence, which might also impact the 2025 federal election campaign. In the co-organizer Reiner Braun's words, "you are starting this grand and inspiring new movement aimed at making this country more peaceful and peace-loving." Braun confessed to having previously protested against the NATO Double-Track Decision of 1979.
Abundant personalities such as East Berliner Lötzsch and former CSU politician Peter Gauweiler were some of the speakers. The movement's icon, Wagenknecht, also received the most applause. Wagenknecht pleaded for peace and diplomacy instead of weapons, both in Ukraine and Middle East. She did not hesitate to launch scathing attacks. The SPD chairperson once again reproached the traffic light coalition for blindly following the commands from Washington. She denounced Putin as a criminal, but also condemned aggressive US wars. Baerbock was labeled a security risk. Lawmakers like Hofreiter or Strack-Zimmermann were labeled as a battalion of warmongers. They should experience the raw realities of war at the front themselves. The fundamental goal of this new movement, as proclaimed by Wagenknecht, was "we must prevent these dreadful missiles."
Unarguably, Wagenknecht referred to the planned deployment of US intermediary-range missiles from 2026, which had been revealed by Olaf Scholz during the NATO summit in Washington in July. Scholz maintained that Germany needs these weapons for defense. Critics argue that these support points make Germany a potential target. Furthermore, they believe that such an action will initiate a new arms race.
Ralf Stegner, an SPD Bundestag member, is ambiguous about the missiles. He faced resistance at the rally around the Siegessäule, including whistles and boos. It began the moment Stegner mentioned Ukraine's right to self-defense and the benefits of air defense over Ukrainian cities. "War hawk" calls were heard. "Stop" and "Blah blah blah" were the audience's responses.
Stegner was caught amidst a political storm, with his own party also criticizing him. SPD's foreign policy expert Michael Roth, who spoke to "Der Spiegel" news magazine, accused Stegner of fueling a shift in discourse. "We've taken the bait set by the AfD and Sahra Wagenknecht. Their nationalistic-populist movement has hijacked the peace concept," Roth said. "This emotionally-charged debate has created a void where Ukraine supporters are being slandered as warmongers." Roth advocated for arms deliveries to help Ukraine negotiate from a position of strength rather than consider them an objective.
Such viewpoints were absent from the rally. Post-Wagenknecht's speech, the crowd continued discussing the "genocide" in Gaza Strip and the liberation of Palestine. A speaker even celebrated Nicaragua's lawsuit against Germany at the International Criminal Court for complicity in Gaza's genocide. Demonstrators sang "Internationale" and chanted "Long live international solidarity." Towards the end, the crowd sang "We Shall Overcome" - it felt like a return to the past.
- Despite the strong opposition towards SPD politician Ralf Stegner's views on Ukraine's right to self-defense, the European Union's stance on the issue remains a crucial topic in international relations.
- Advocates of peace at the "No More War" rally called for the European Union to take a proactive role in promoting diplomacy and disarmament, emphasizing the importance of unity within the union.
