{"id":353015,"date":"2025-08-18T01:34:14","date_gmt":"2025-08-18T01:34:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/353015\/"},"modified":"2025-08-18T01:34:14","modified_gmt":"2025-08-18T01:34:14","slug":"germany-anti-militarist-camp-to-go-ahead-with-or-without-permission","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/353015\/","title":{"rendered":"Germany: Anti-militarist camp to go ahead “with or without permission”"},"content":{"rendered":"

Despite police ban, preparations continue for Rheinmetall protest camp in Cologne at the end of August <\/p>\n

~ Cristina Sykes<\/strong> ~<\/p>\n

The camp, running between 26-31 August, combines workshops, discussions and cultural events with protests targeting arms companies across the Rhein-Ruhr region. The Rheinmetall Entwaffnen (\u201cDisarm Rheinmetall\u201d) alliance, formed in 2018, is organising the week-long gathering to oppose Germany\u2019s leading arms manufacturer and the wider militarisation drive. <\/p>\n

Cologne police prohibited both the camp and a planned \u201cparade\u201d<\/a> to the nearby Konrad-Adenauer barracks, citing risks of \u201cradicalisation\u201d. A court upheld the ban on 15 August, even pointing to the century-old anti-war slogan Krieg dem Krieg (\u201cwar on war\u201d) as supposed evidence of violent intent. Organisers reject the reasoning as political repression. \u201cThe camp will take place \u2013 we are very optimistic,\u201d said Mila, a spokesperson for the alliance<\/a>. \u201cWe will resist the ban legally and politically. The authorities may want to silence the anti-militarist movement, but we will go ahead\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The camp is expected to draw hundreds of participants from Germany and abroad, including anarchist collectives, feminist groups, anti-fascists and internationalist networks. A dedicated anarchist barrio<\/a> has been announced, with organisers reporting growing mobilisation since the ban was declared. <\/p>\n

Workshops will cover topics such as the reintroduction of conscription, weapons exports, the impact of militarisation on women, and new technologies like AI in warfare. International guests are also invited to share their struggles. \u201cWe want to build a global network against war and militarisation\u201d, said Mila. \u201cPeople come to share experiences so we can act together\u201d.<\/p>\n

The German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, home to Rheinmetall\u2019s D\u00fcsseldorf headquarters, has become a focal point for opposition to the arms industry. Facilities in Cologne-M\u00fclheim, Neuss and Weeze are all linked to the production of tanks, artillery and fighter jets. In recent days, activists marked a Siemens site in Munich with graffiti and banners denouncing its role in Bundeswehr automation. Another alliance, Rheinmetall Enteignen, has called for a demonstration outside Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger\u2019s villa near D\u00fcsseldorf.<\/p>\n

\"\"The Clown Army is also mobilising<\/a><\/p>\n

While police and media point to clashes at past camps, organisers maintain that repression itself fuels confrontation. Die Linke MP Lea Reisner also criticised the Cologne ban as \u201ca massive and unacceptable encroachment on the constitutional right of assembly\u201d.<\/p>\n

For the organisers, the outcome is clear. \u201cWe will make the camp happen, with or without permission\u201d, Mila said. \u201cThe repression only shows why our struggle against militarisation is necessary\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Despite police ban, preparations continue for Rheinmetall protest camp in Cologne at the end of August ~ Cristina…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":353016,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5310],"tags":[13217,124612,124613,119607,2000,299,1824,24861,18744],"class_list":{"0":"post-353015","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-germany","8":"tag-activism","9":"tag-anti-war","10":"tag-arms-industry","11":"tag-arms-trade","12":"tag-eu","13":"tag-europe","14":"tag-germany","15":"tag-militarism","16":"tag-protest"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115047200532581678","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/353015","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=353015"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/353015\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/353016"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=353015"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=353015"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=353015"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}