Bündnis Rheinmetall Entwaffnen opposes against the German ammunition industry

Oppression and wars raging around the world have a deep connection with Germany, as with all places where arms are manufactured. Kassel is one of the hotspots of the German arms industry, hosting its two largest manufacturers Rheinmetall and Kraus–Maffei Wegmann (KMW). They circumvent existing export restrictions and deliver to states that are actively involved in the war in Yemen. Turkey’s imperialist deeds are supported by German arms exports both directly, and indirectly – Rheinmetall’s sister company in South Africa delivers ammunition to Turkey’s forces in Libya. Both groups armed Germany in the two world wars and used forced labour during the Nazi era. Their common history serves to highlight the close relationship of anti-fascism and anti-militarism. Moreover, within Germany those issued with weapons -i.e. the police and military- have been exposed as harbouring fascist networks. Arms are at the centre of the capitalist-patriarchal nationalistic power complex. 

While the arms industry and German state earn money through arms, including the militarisation of Europe’s borders, the Covid-19 pandemic shows that resources are needed for health and social care systems around the world. The organisation demands ‘Healthcare not Warfare’. With their blockades in Kassel, the Bündnis Rheinmetall Entwaffnen showed that they oppose the German way of fuelling and waging wars at the expense of the health of people everywhere.

“We want to show that Germany, through its arms exports, creates refugees and then stops them from claiming asylum, while its arms companies profit at all stages of the war chain.”

This is the beginning of the end. We demand the end of the global armament race. But the fight against war is always also a fight against capitalism, against patriarchy and against racism, with the eventual goal of a liberated society, outside the capitalist-patriarchal order.

Het Actiefonds provided the financial means for the blocking materials needed for this direct action. The action group will continue their work against the arms industry. For more information on their next events, workshops and direct action, we redirect you to their website.