Gaza protest at the Brandenburg Gate: Wagenknecht and Hallervorden mobilize!

Gaza protest at the Brandenburg Gate: Wagenknecht and Hallervorden mobilize!

Next Saturday there will be a large solidarity rally at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin under the motto “Stop the genocide in Gaza”. Sahra Wagenknecht, the founder of the Movement for Social and Just Transition (BSW), has called for this demonstration, which is directed against Israel's military action in the Gaza Strip and against arms deliveries to crisis areas. The event is expected to attract up to 15,000 participants, and the Berlin police have announced that they will provide up to 1,000 emergency services to ensure the event, which indicates the explosive nature of the issue. Decisions affecting arms deliveries to non-democratic states are also currently the focus of public debate. Berliner Zeitung reports that the rally was announced a month ago.

The event is prominently supported by artists such as the rapper Massiv as well as the actor Dieter Hallervorden and the musician Peter Maffay. Roger Waters, the founder of Pink Floyd, will also be joining in with a greeting from New York. The organizers of the rally repeatedly criticized the double standards in international politics, especially with regard to arms deliveries. This goes hand in hand with the demand for an immediate stop to German arms deliveries and the need for peace negotiations instead of military escalations. [Bundesstiftung Friedensforschung](https://bundesstiftung-friedensforschung.de/blog/internationaler- Waffenhandel-und-intrastaat-kritike-dynamische-analyse-von- Waffenimporten-und-deren-effekten-auf-kritikpotential-kritikausbrueche-und-staat-repression/) highlights the complex effects of international arms deliveries on conflicts.

Background of the protests

Criticism of the arms deliveries is not just limited to the Middle East conflict. The rally also calls on the international community to take responsibility and condemn war crimes worldwide, including in Ukraine and Iran. Gaza's situation has been described as "the largest children's cemetery in the world", highlighting the urgency and human suffering resulting from these conflicts. In this context, reference is made to a fundamental study of the connections between arms trafficking and intrastate conflicts.

There has been a dramatic increase in international trade in conventional weapons since 2000. This is accompanied by an increasing number of armed conflicts, resulting in more and more lives being lost. A key goal of current research in this area is to better understand the impact of arms sales on intrastate conflicts and the associated risks of state repression and human rights violations.

The demonstration could not only denounce the policy of arms deliveries, but also contribute to stability in crisis regions. This is happening in a context in which political actors are required to take new paths towards peace and security.