Posted18 avril 2022, 17:09
Hundreds of peaceful demonstrators marched through the streets of Bern on Monday followingnoon to protest once morest the war in Ukraine.
Parade and speeches punctuated the march.
Several hundred people took part in the traditional Easter march through the streets of Bern on Monday followingnoon. Nearly 40 organizations, mainly pacifists and religious, have called for a parade between the banks of the Aare and the Cathedral Square.
This year, following a two-year forced break due to Covid, the peace march was originally scheduled to take place under the slogan “Protect the climate, build peace”. But the invasion of Ukraine by Russia changed the situation and the participants decided to focus on this “disastrous” war.
“The civilian population suffers doubly, on the one hand from the consequences of climate change, on the other hand from the devastating effects of armed conflicts. This is why climate policy and peace policy must be considered together”, they believe, establishing a link between war and climate.
A tradition dating back to 1960
The tradition of Easter marches began in the 1960s, when peace movements demonstrated once morest nuclear power around the world. In 2003, shortly following the start of the war in Iraq, they experienced a revival. “Unfortunately, hate messages and belligerent intentions still make up international news. Peaceful resistance to this trend is therefore still just as important,” the organizers say.
(cht)