Monday demonstrations in GDR
From Free net encyclopedia
Image:Montagsdemonstration in Leipzig.jpg The 1989/1990 Monday demonstrations (German: Montagdemonstrationen) in the East German city of Leipzig were a series of peaceful political protests against the East German government.
The demonstrations began after prayers for peace in the Nikolai Church with parson Christian Führer, and filled the nearby downtown Karl Marx Platz. Safe in the knowledge that the Lutheran Church supported their stance, many dissatisfied East German citizens gathered in the court of the church, and non-violent demonstrations began in order to demand rights such as the freedom to travel to foreign countries and to elect a democratic government.
Informed by television and friends about the events, people in other German cities begun repeating the Leipzig demonstration, meeting at city squares on Monday evenings. By October 1989, more than 250,000 people had joined the pro-democracy demonstrations.
The most famous chant became Wir sind das Volk! - We are the people. Although some demonstrators were arrested, the threat of large-scale intervention by security forces never materialised. The demonstrations eventually ended in March 1990, around the time of the multiparty elections that led to German reunification.
See also
fi:Maanantaimielenosoitukset th:การเดินขบวนวันจันทร์ในเยอรมนีตะวันออก