Russia’s Ukraine war: parades with hundreds of cars in several cities – escalation in Hanover – politics
Demos in several cities – escalation in Hanover
Against the background of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, pro-Russian rallies took place again in several German cities on Sunday. But there were also counter-demonstrations.
In Hanover, at least 350 vehicles with around 600 people rolled through the city in a pro-Russian motorcade. You could see Russian flags and German flags. They opposed alleged “discrimination” and “Russianism,” as one poster said. Around 3,500 people gathered in the center of Hanover for a counter-demonstration, Ukrainian flags were flying, “Stop War”, “Stop Genocide” and “You are all accomplices” were on the posters. “
However, the situation escalated during the tour in the afternoon, as reported by the “Hannoversche Allgemeine”. In the meantime, counter-demonstrators surrounded a pro-Russian car. The police tried to protect the occupants and escorted the car out of the crowd. Eggs and horse droppings landed on the wagon. The motorcade then continued its journey on a different route. The counter-demonstration eventually broke up.
According to the police, up to 800 people gathered at a pro-Russian rally on the Opernplatz in Frankfurt. The participants waved Russian and Soviet flags and chanted “Russia”. A group of pro-Ukrainian demonstrators opposed this, chanting “shame”, “shame”. A police line separated the two groups.
Pro-Ukrainian protesters took to the ground to commemorate the war crimes committed against Ukrainian civilians. They shouted “Bucha”. Numerous bodies of murdered civilians were found in the Kiev suburb. Pro-Ukraine rallies were also held on the Römerberg and Roßmarkt. In total, the police counted around 2,500 pro-Ukrainian demonstrators. Blue and yellow Ukrainian flags were waved, and placards read in English, among other things: “Stop Russia”, “No Gas from Russia” and “Stop Genocide”.
The Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, Andriy Melnyk, sharply criticized the pro-Russian rally in Frankfurt on Sunday. “Is that freedom of speech? Or a tolerated glorification of a war of annihilation against Ukrainian women & children?” asked Melnyk on Twitter. (dpa, tsp)
