Traditional Celebration in German City Becomes Ukrainian Solidarity March

An estimated 250,000 people marched in the streets of Cologne, Germany, on Monday in a demonstration against the Russian invasion of Ukraine that was held in place of the region's typical Rose Monday celebration, which was canceled for another year because of the pandemic.

The traditional parade floats mocking politicians were on display, including a float of Russian President Vladimir Putin acting as a puppet master in control of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Reuters reported.

The celebration was one of many anti-war demonstrations and protests that have taken place across the globe since Russia invaded Ukraine last week, which has also led to the arrest of thousands of Russian citizens for demonstrations in their country.

Rose Monday, the culmination of the Carnival celebrations leading up to the Christian period of Lent that takes place between Ash Wednesday and Easter, is particularly popular in the western area of Germany where Cologne is located. The celebrations can be traced back to Germanic tribes celebrating the return of warm weather around the same time hundreds of years ago, when Christianity was growing in popularity and influence, Al Jazeera reported in 2018.

The celebration includes costumes and parties and a parade of floats through Cologne that have come to traditionally mock German customs and politicians, with some international figures occasionally included like former President Donald Trump, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, or Putin and Lukashenko this year.

Monday's celebration saw thousands of people, including local politicians, at the parade in blue and yellow, showing their support for Ukraine by wearing the colors of that nation's flag.

"Grateful that so many people are attending the #Friedensdemonstration in Cologne," Minister President of North Rhine-Westphalia Hendrik Wust tweeted. "The people of Cologne would have liked to celebrate Shrove Monday again after 2 years of the pandemic. Instead they show solidarity & stand up for peace in the #Ukraine . A strong sign."

A moment of silence was also reportedly held to send "a strong signal against the fighting in Ukraine." Another float in the parade featured a dove, a common symbol for peace, being speared by a flagpole with a Russian flag on the other end.

Sunday, it was reported that over 2,800 Russians were arrested across 56 different cities for protests, as nearly 6,000 have been arrested since the onset of the invasion.

Last Friday, hundreds of people were seen protesting outside the Russian Embassy in Dublin, Ireland, waving Ukrainian flags and yelling at cars driving toward the embassy, as many of the protesters called on the Irish government to expel the Russian diplomats.

Update 2/28/22 2:35 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with additional information and context.