It was put up by the local initiative "Our Lübben" to protest against plans by the arms group Diehl to soon start producing munitions components at the factory. German leaders often warn of Russia's war in Ukraine and its threats against European NATO members. Russians lived here for years," said Manuela Noack, a 62-year-old nurse, harking back to the Soviet presence in communist East Germany. The far-right, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD), which advocates buying Russian energy and general detente with Moscow, won 39 percent of the vote in Lübben in February's general election. In 2023, the arms group Rheinmetall had to abandon plans to build a factory in Saxony, another eastern state, in the face of protests.

Source: The Local December 19, 2025 14:33 UTC