BERLIN (Sputnik) — On Tuesday, the German government approved plans to send up to 1,200 soldiers, six Tornado reconnaissance jets, a frigate and refueling aircraft to help in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIL, or Daesh in Arabic) jihadist group in Syria. The German parliament is set to vote on the matter on Friday.
The activists took to the streets of the German capital with posters reading ‘No participation of the Bundeswehr in the war in Syria,’ ‘Stop the mission of the Bundeswehr in Syria,’ ‘Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen — stop the military terror,’ ‘Hands off Syria, no to war in Syria,’ ‘Bundeswehr in Syria? No thanks!’
Earlier in the day, local police stated that the application submitted by the events’ organizers had estimated that it would be attended by some 500 people.
The participants of the Berlin rally claim the involvement of German servicemen in the anti-Daesh campaign contravenes international law, further escalates the conflict in Iraq and Syria and contributes to the heightening of international tensions. The pacifists demand political rather than military solutions to the conflict.
Germany is part of the United States-led anti-Daesh coalition in Syria. The coalition has been conducting airstrikes against terrorist targets in Syria since September 2014 without the Syrian government's consent. Moscow is conducting its own mission in Syria against the Daesh group, which is outlawed in Russia.
