Hundreds protest in Leipzig against US cruise missile production
About 400 people demonstrated on Saturday in the eastern German city of Leipzig against US defence company Covenant's plans to build cruise missiles. The company opened its production facility in early October.
Several hundred people took part in a demonstration on Saturday in Leipzig, a city in eastern Germany, against plans by the American defence company Covenant to produce cruise missiles in the north of the city. The report comes from the German news agency DPA, as cited by Ukraine's Evropeiska Pravda.
Police estimated the turnout at roughly 400. Officers provided security during the march, which took place in the rain. The participants were mostly young people carrying placards, symbols of left-wing groups and a Palestinian flag.
The plant and its plans
Covenant formally opened a production hall in Leipzig in early October. From 2027, it is planned to manufacture Anthem long-range cruise missiles there.
Leipzig is set to become Covenant's largest production site worldwide: a thousand units of the weapon system are to be made in the first year of operation. The target for 2028 has already been set at 5,000 units.
German rearmament context
In September it emerged that Germany's Ministry of Defence intends to allocate almost €3.4 billion to buy US-made Tomahawk cruise missiles and Typhon launchers.
According to media reports, the German government expects that building a new arsenal of long-range weapons, intended to deter Russia, will require nearly €12 billion.
