Several thousand demonstrate against Munich Security Conference

Around 3,000 people demonstrated against the Munich Security Conference in what a police spokesman said on Saturday was a peaceful protest.

Around 2,000 people attended a kick-off rally, with the same number at the closing event after the demonstration.

Around 500 participants formed a human chain in Munich’s city centre.

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The “Action Alliance against the NATO Security Conference” had called for the demonstration.

On the sidelines of the demonstration, a 50-year-old man poured petrol over himself and ran towards the crowd with a lighter in his hand, but police officers prevented him from setting himself alight.

According to initial investigations, the man, who is from Iraq, wanted to draw attention to the political situation in his home country.

On Friday evening, the police cut short a demonstration involving around 500 people because fireworks were let off. The demonstrators then started moving off again, but the organizer decided a little later to end the meeting early, according to the police.

Around 3,900 police officers were scheduled to be on duty over the weekend during the security conference.

This year, the organizers expected around 35 heads of state and government and 100 ministers to attend the most important expert meeting on security policy.