Thousands of Germans took to the streets on Sunday in cities and towns across the country in the traditional Easter peace demonstrations.

The largest rally, which attracted 9,000 people according to organizers, took place in Fretzdorf, the state of Brandenburg, where the German Defense Ministry plans to build a weapons testing facility.

Other rallies or marches were much smaller and the second largest demonstration after Fretzdorf was reported in Munich.

Besides local issues, the protestors also demanded the German government distance itself from the anti-terror campaign of the Bush administration, the German press reports said.

The traditional peace marches on Easter holiday in Germany date back to the cold war era when anti-war and anti-nuclear movements were strong. Two years ago, hundreds of thousands of marchers turned out for Easter marches to protest the US-led invasion of Iraq.

Source: Xinhua