Cologne's Antiwar Protestors Argue Unfounded Threat of Prohibition
The anti-war activist group, Rheinmetall Disarm, has announced its annual camp in Cologne, scheduled for August 26-31, 2025. This year's event is set to take place in the heart of the Rhein-Ruhr armaments metropolis, home to one of Europe's most significant arms projects: the Franco-German Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) project [1].
However, a recent development has cast a shadow over the upcoming event. The Cologne assembly authority, represented by local police, has issued a ban on the anti-war activism camp, citing risks of “radicalisation” and potential threats to public safety [2]. The authorities even cited the historic anti-war slogan “Krieg dem Krieg” (“war on war”) as evidence suggesting violent intent behind the camp [3].
The ban has been met with strong opposition from the organizers and many participants from various political and activist groups, including anarchists, feminists, and anti-fascists. They view the ban as political repression against the anti-militarist movement [1][2]. Despite the official prohibition, the organizers and participants have expressed their intention to proceed with the camp regardless.
The ban is not without controversy. Lawyer Nils Spörkel stated that the threatened ban on the camp lacks a serious, fact-based foundation [4]. Rheinmetall Disarm, on the other hand, sees the ban as a "political attack in legal form" [5]. The group has been organizing actions against armament, isolation, weapons production, and arms exports since 2018 [6].
The ban is not only due to actions from previous years but also to the content of a call for civil disobedience and direct actions in the group's announcement for the action week [7]. In 2022, the coalition blocked the operation of Krauss-Maffei Wegmann in Kassel for several hours, resulting in the use of pepper spray and batons by the police [8]. In 2024, the coalition held its largest camp to date in Kiel, where clashes between police and protesters occurred [9]. During the Kassel incident, construction materials were reportedly thrown at the police [10].
The planned events for the camp include workshops, discussions, and protests against the arms manufacturer Rheinmetall and broader militarization efforts. Participants aim to call on soldiers to desert, protest against the glorification of killing and dying, and militaristic propaganda [11].
As of the publication, no response was received from the Cologne assembly authority regarding an inquiry from "nd". The outcome of this standoff between the authorities and the anti-war activists promises to be a significant test of freedom of speech and assembly in Germany.
[1] https://www.rheinmetall-disarm.org/ [2] https://www.wdr.de/nachrichten/koeln/koelner-behörde-verbietet-friedenscamp-100.html [3] https://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2025-08/koeln-friedenscamp-verbot-rheinmetall-disarm-krieg-dem-krieg-slogan [4] https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/koeln-friedenscamp-verbot-rheinmetall-disarm-politischer-angriff-in-rechtlicher-form-a-3a714d29-866d-48c5-98e2-448a72658c19 [5] https://www.rheinmetall-disarm.org/ [6] https://www.rheinmetall-disarm.org/ [7] https://www.rheinmetall-disarm.org/ [8] https://www.wdr.de/nachrichten/koeln/koelner-behörde-verbietet-friedenscamp-100.html [9] https://www.wdr.de/nachrichten/koeln/koelner-behörde-verbietet-friedenscamp-100.html [10] https://www.wdr.de/nachrichten/koeln/koelner-behörde-verbietet-friedenscamp-100.html [11] https://www.rheinmetall-disarm.org/
In response to the prohibition of the anti-war activist camp by the Cologne assembly authority, lawyer Nils Spörkel emphasized that the ban lacks a substantial basis. The organizers and participants of the camp, comprising various political and activist groups, view the ban as political repression against the anti-militarist movement.
The planned events for the camp include workshops, discussions, and protests against the arms manufacturer Rheinmetall and broader militarization efforts, raising concerns about freedom of speech and assembly in Germany.
