Thousands are expected to join Germany’s traditional Easter peace marches, with more than 100 events planned in dozens of towns between April 2 and 6. Several newspapers have run ads to encourage participation as organisers promote a varied programme of actions.
The Network of the German Peace Movement lists everything from “Bikes for Peace” tours and concerts to afternoon gatherings with speeches on the wars in Iran, Gaza and Ukraine, the Rojava conflict in northern Syria, as well as human rights and climate justice. The network’s website urges the government to pursue diplomatic solutions, strengthen international law and step up aid for people affected by conflict. It also criticises what it calls the government’s “selective interpretation of international law,” arguing Germany should condemn attacks on Iran by the US and Israel as firmly as it condemns Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.
This year’s marches come as Germany implements a major reform of military service. Since the start of the year all 18-year-olds have been sent a questionnaire from the Bundeswehr assessing their “motivation and suitability” for service. Young men are legally obliged to complete the forms; women, who are constitutionally exempt from compulsory service, may volunteer. The new law prompted a wave of nationwide school strikes, and organisers expect a stronger youth presence at many events. Kristian Golla, spokesperson for the Network of the German Peace Movement, said about 20 demonstrations will include speakers addressing conscription.
The Easter marches are deliberately decentralised: there is no single organisation dictating themes or speakers. Traditionally the demonstrations have brought together churches, trade unions, left-wing parties and pacifist groups such as the German Peace Society (DFG-VK). Those pacifist organisations, once closely linked to conscientious objection, have increasingly provided advice and support to young people seeking to refuse military service.
But the movement faces internal and external challenges. Hendrik Hegemann, a senior researcher at the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy in Hamburg, said the marches remain relevant but he does not expect a massive surge in attendance. Part of the reason, he argued, is public ambivalence about current conflicts. “On Ukraine, for example, it’s a more complex situation than with Iraq in 2003, the last phase of larger peace protests in Germany, where most people could agree that the attack was wrong,” he said, noting the difficulty of mobilising for positions that support strengthening Ukraine while atrocities such as the Bucha massacre remain salient.
Hegemann also said traditional organisations now have less mobilising power and some have shifted their positions on defence and peace policy. The movement has been complicated by elements of the far right and by polarising political figures such as Sahra Wagenknecht, who have at times co-opted parts of the anti-militarisation message, discouraging some potential participants. Still, Hegemann added, pacifism “remains an important position”—a long-standing tradition that seeks to present alternatives and prompt public debate amid a trend toward re-militarisation.
Public concern about security has been rising. A February Allensbach report found just 55% of Germans now feel safe, down from 60% in 2025 and over 70% in 2019. About two-thirds fear Germany could become directly involved in a war. Confidence in NATO has also fallen: only 42% believe the alliance would successfully repel a Russian attack, a drop of about 14 percentage points from the previous year.
“Of course, people feel threatened by the overwhelming global situation,” said Golla, who expects higher turnout than last year but remains cautious. Poor weather over the Easter weekend could depress numbers, he warned, but he said he was “carefully optimistic” about larger crowds.
Despite divisions and a more fraught security environment, organisers and supporters hope the decentralised marches will renew public attention on diplomacy, civilian protection and alternatives to military escalation.