Every Monday, hundreds of people stream into the Nikolaikirche church for prayers for peace while outside, thousands rally under banners and placards.

Then, both sets join together to march -- there were 45,000 Monday evening -- through the city centre in a show of popular strength.

In 1989 they called for democracy, shouting: "We are the people."

Now they demand an end to the conflict against Iraq, shouting: "We are the people, we don't want any war."

"The Nikolaikirche was already a place of hope for many people during the 'Wende' in 1989," said its senior priest, Christian Fuehrer, referring to the word meaning 'turn' which Germans use to describe the epochal events of that year.

Fuehrer walks at the head of the rally. He says he is proud the people of Leipzig are taking to the streets again in a wave of protests that mushroomed out of a Christmas appeal by the church against the impending war.

Monday's rally was the 12th such demonstration against the war. There was little sign of numbers going down, as activists had feared would happen once the conflict got underway.

The Monday prayers for peace, begun at the Nikolaikirche in 1982, became a focal point for civil rights groups in what was then East Germany.

Then, amid increasing agitation against the regime, 70,000 people gathered to demonstrate on October 9, 1989. Police and soldiers mobilised. There were fears of a violent repression.

But the security forces did not intervene. The rallies gathered in fervour and strength. Hope spread of a democratic renewal.

A month later the Berlin Wall was opened, a year later East Germany ceased to exist.

The particular thing about the rallies then as now is their peacefulness, Fuehrer said, pointing out that they were not linked to political parties or trade unions.

People are marching now for different reasons, he admitted. "But just like then, people want to get involved and leave nothing to politics. This is the people on the street."

Sebastien Krumbiegel, a pop singer, said it highlighted a "special culture of democracy. People here have already shown once before that they can change things."

Christine Severin, 56, joins the rally every week. "Every day brings more victims among the civilian population in Iraq. We have to make a stand," she said.

She protested on the streets in 1989 too. "It became a tradition. It was a phenomenon of the Wende."

"Then, we were afraid of violence by the East German regime," said Stefan Hoerning, "now we're protesting against violence in Iraq."

"I see pictures of the war and I can't just sit at home behind my own four walls," he added.

SPACE.WIRE