On Saturday, May 6, pro-Russian activist Elena Kolbasnikova organised a rally in Leverkusen and Cologne, calling for an end to military support for Ukraine and “diplomatic solution” of war. This is reported by Bild.
Kolbasnikova was able to mobilize only 200 participants in the demonstration. The protesters gathered at the Stelzenbrücke Square before a convoy of 80 vehicles, accompanied by 20 police vehicles, set out for a car rally.
According to information from local police, there have been complaints about violations of the assembly law.
Leverkusen police spokesman Christoph Gilles told Bild that two protesters, including a child, were asked to cover the “Z” and “V” symbols on their clothes. Police accompanied the rally and “closely monitored” what was being said.
According to Gilles, the incident was accompanied and closely observed, paying attention to what was said at the rally.
“For this purpose, an interpreter was called in to examine the speeches for possible criminal content. This process is still ongoing”, said Christoph Gilles.
During the march through the Cologne city center, Kolbasnikova and her nearly 200 fellow activists encountered three counter-demonstrations with a combined total of more than 500 participants. They awaited the pro-Russian demonstrators at Heumarkt, Appellhofplatz, and Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum. The police prevented clashes, and there were only verbal confrontations.
Two investigations against Kolbasnikova are currently underway, one of them concerns her condoning the war of aggression.
On March 27, the German prosecutor’s office conducted searches in the house of Kolbasnikova and her husband Max Schlund in Cologne.
The Reuters special report found that Kolbasnikova and her partner Max Schlund were part of a pro-Kremlin agent network seeking to influence German politics. Among other things, they were involved in raising money for the Russian army.
