Large crowds gather in Hamburg and Paris to protest Russia's war in Ukraine

A person holds a placard during an anti-war protest at the Place de la Republique, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Paris, France March 5, 2022. REUTERS/Johanna Geron

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Around 30,000 protesters gathered in Hamburg on Saturday to demonstrate against Russia's invasion of Ukraine, local police said.

The protests in Germany's second-largest city took place under the slogan "Peace in Ukraine and Security in Europe" against the military assault which has forced nearly 1.5 million refugees to flee westward into the European Union.