Germany: Thousands in traditional Easter marches

2024-03-31 18:33:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Germany: Thousands in traditional Easter marches

March to Kemnitc

Across Germany, participants in traditional Easter marches want to send a signal for peace and against war this year. The main day of traditional marches is Easter Saturday, where around 70 peace marches have been announced in Germany.

The central theme of the peace movement's Easter marches on Saturday is the demand for negotiations to end the war in Ukraine and the war between Israel and the terrorist organization Hamas. In addition, the participants in the peace march criticize the increase in armament expenditures.

Germany: Thousands in traditional Easter marches

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) on the occasion of the Easter days once again confirmed German support for Ukraine and argued it with German security interests. Even the vice chancellor, Robert Habeck (Greens), the German foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock (Greens), and the head of the opposition party, CDU, Friedrich Merz have published messages for Easter.

Germany: Thousands in traditional Easter marches

Scholz: Peace without freedom means oppression

In a video message, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said "we all want a more peaceful world". But peace without freedom means oppression. There is no peace without justice. "That's why we support Ukraine in its fight for a just peace, as long as it will be necessary. We do it for us too, for our security." Scholz accused Russia under President Putin of violating a decades-old principle: that borders are not changed by force. "But we have it in our hands to make this principle valid again. By supporting Ukraine even further, decisively and prudently."

Germany: Thousands in traditional Easter marches

Habeck: Germany must be protected from military attacks

While the German Vice-Chancellor and Minister of Economy, Robert Habeck, in a video published on Thursday evening on the X platform, said that "we want peace. Yes. But the bitter and true answer is: there will probably be no end to fast and good, even though we wish it otherwise." Regarding the Russian aggression, Habekc emphasized that "we must prepare for the threat situation. Anything else would be naive." Germany would therefore do well to invest more in its security. "We, Germany, the EU, we must defend ourselves completely, even against military attacks."

Germany: Thousands in traditional Easter marches

Habeck emphasized that he has respect for the positions that for moral reasons or religious beliefs regarding the delivery of weapons to Ukraine reach a different conclusion, different from his. "I understand very well that people are afraid of an escalation of the war. I am also worried." Habeck spoke out against a "war freeze". "Although I understand very well that due to the high number of victims there is talk of freezing the war, this position forgets that only Ukrainians can decide what price they would be willing to pay , and under what conditions they would like to reach a truce or end the war."/ DW