By Oliver Towfigh Nia
BERLIN (AA) - Thousands of people continued to turn out for traditional peace marches in several cities across Germany on Easter Monday as the holiday weekend tradition ended.
At Easter marches in several major German cities, people demonstrated against Russia’s war in Ukraine as well as Israel’s brutal military offensive in Gaza.
They called for disarmament, peace negotiations and a stop to arms deliveries to Ukraine and Israel, according to the Munich-based Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.
A major focus of the Easter peace marches was Berlin, where around 3,500 participants gathered in the capital on Saturday.
According to a preliminary report by organizers of the Easter peace marches, there were more than 10,000 people marching at around 120 events throughout Germany.
The largest marches took place in Berlin with around 3,500 participants, followed by Stuttgart with around 2,000 and Bremen with around 1,000.
At the demonstration in Berlin, participants also held up signs reading "Friendship with Russia - Viva Palestine" and "Genocide in Gaza," in addition to the display of Russian and Palestinian flags.
Easter peace marchers also criticized German arms deliveries to Ukraine and Israel, saying it would only prolong the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
The Easter marches date back to last century's pan-European peace movement urging nuclear disarmament and protesting the arms race, with the first Easter march held in Britain in 1958.