Thousands of demonstrators marched through central Berlin on Thursday, protesting against the German government's continued supply of weapons to Ukraine and criticizing Western nations for fueling the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
The rally coincided with German Unity Day but took on a somber tone as participants marched from three directions through the city toward Tiergarten Park, united in their call for diplomatic solutions to global conflicts.
Protesters expressed frustration with the perceived inaction of both the United States and the European Union in promoting peace.
"Now we see the Americans are not really defending the peace, so we do not see the European Union being strong, having a positioning defending peace. The weapons delivery is one of the things that has been most mentioned here at the demonstration that people are saying whatever we do as a country, Germany should stop the weapons delivery. This is not legal," said protester Ulrike Guerot.
The intensifying conflicts and their ripple effects have significantly impacted German society and its economy in recent years, sparking numerous protests across the country. Demonstrators are urging Western nations and those involved in the conflicts to pursue immediate diplomatic resolutions to the crises.
Another protester, Reiner Braun, echoed this sentiment.
"We want to stop the wars in the world, and then we need negotiation, ceasefire and diplomacy. And stop killing, stop murdering, stop all those (destruction)," said Braun.
Thousands protest in Berlin against arms supplies to Ukraine
Thousands protest in Berlin against arms supplies to Ukraine
Thousands protest in Berlin against arms supplies to Ukraine
Thousands protest in Berlin against arms supplies to Ukraine
In a bid to stimulate movie-related consumption during the National Day holiday, local governments across China are rolling out subsidies and vouchers, while cinemas are intensifying efforts to improve the experience for movie-goers.
As of 19:03 on Thursday, the box office for the 2024 National Day holiday, including previews and presales, had surpassed 1.2 billion yuan (about 170 million U.S. dollars), according to ticketing platform Dengta.
The National Day holiday, which runs from October 1 to 7, is part of a broader film consumption season promoted by the China Film Administration, which will see over 300-million-yuan worth of subsidies being released to movie-goers from August to October.
In Beijing, 10-million-yuan worth of subsidies will be released during the holiday, and in Shanghai, the promotional efforts will last longer with coupons worth up to 45 million yuan to be issued from October to the end of the year.
As the film market is boosted by consumers coming to cinemas with discounts, the country's cinema operators have been taking the opportunity to enhance the experience of their customers.
"Apart from the festive National Day holiday decorations, we also put other decorations featuring elements selected from the scenes of each film. We hope that they will help give the movie-goers some immersive experiences as they come to watch the films," said Cai Min, manager of a cinema in Beijing.
In south China's island province of Hainan, cinema operators are innovating by adding performance stages and private rooms in cinemas, where customers can enjoy services like concerts and catering alongside movies.
"Nearly 90 percent of our 25 private rooms were booked by the National Day holiday customers. We made the changes because we want to innovate the business model of traditional cinemas, which only offer movie-goers popcorns and a place to watch films. In our cinema, customers can listen to some folksongs before watching the film and they can also enjoy meals and have party while enjoying the films. These help break the physical boundaries of film theaters and make the whole cinema more diversified," said Liu Wei, executive vice president of the Hongshulin Tourism Operation and Management Group.
"In this cinema, apart from watching the movie, I also enjoyed other services like the concerts and catering. I think the business model is great and fashionable," said Liu Mingqi, a movie-goer.
China's cinemas enhance experience to stimulate movie-related consumption during National Day holiday
China's cinemas enhance experience to stimulate movie-related consumption during National Day holiday
