Protests against the first Veterans Day: Mannheim stands up for peace!

Protests against the first Veterans Day: Mannheim stands up for peace!

On Sunday, June 15, 2025, protests against the city's first Veterans Day took place in Mannheim at Toulonplatz. This event, which was approved by the Bundestag in April 2024, was intended to pay attention to the concerns of veterans and promote social respect for military service. However, Veterans Day caused a lot of controversy, as kommunalinfo-mannheim.de reports.

Opponents of the veterans' celebrations, led by organizations such as the German Peace Society - United War Resisters and the Mannheim branch of the DIE LINKE party, used their protests to demand a critical examination of the militarization of society. Starting at 1 p.m., activists gathered opposite the veterans event to give speeches to address the potential dangers of an increasingly militarized culture.

Protest actions and symbolism

The demonstrators, who appeared with various banners, including one with the provocative inscription "DENY. DESERT. SABOTATE," firmly opposed the promotion of a militaristic culture of remembrance. Jonas Fehrenbach, a spokesman for the resistance alliance, criticized the financing of war projects and highlighted the contrast between the role of Mannheim Mayor Christian Specht in the “Mayors for Peace” network and the support for Veterans Day. He described Veterans Day as part of a new militaristic culture.

The protest demonstration moved from the town hall across the market square to the parade square around 2:30 p.m. During the closing speech, the mayor's membership in the “Mayors for Peace” network was discussed again in order to highlight the contradictions in the local political agenda. Many of the demonstrators were convinced that instead of armament, investments should be made in social projects.

Antimilitarist actions

The antimilitarist action network announced nationwide actions for the same period, including the hijacking of advertising showcases in city centers in order to expose Veterans Day as “Nazi Prepper Day”. These actions, which were planned from Berlin to Bavaria to Hesse and Baden-Württemberg, included inserting their own critical posters into the existing advertising, which were in the Bundeswehr camouflage design. Over 100 showcases in Berlin should be equipped with adbusting posters in order to question the Bundeswehr's interpretive sovereignty, as indymedia.org reports.

Overall, there is a broad spectrum of active resistance to militarization and rearmament. The protests in Mannheim are part of a larger piece of the puzzle in Germany, where many citizens are calling for peace and social justice while at the same time reigniting the debate on militarism.