Thousands of people in the nationwide parades, which entered its third day, called for the avoidance of military conflict over Iran's nuclear program.

Iran and the West have deadlocked since Iran resumed activities of uranium enrichment months ago. Iran insists that its nuclear program is envisaged for peaceful use, but the West says that it is aiming to develop nuclear weapons.

In the state of Brandenburg near Berlin, more than 1,000 protestors called for the closure of a firing range used by the German armed forces, while in the industrial Ruhr region parades were held with the theme of peace and disarmament.

The rallies will culminate on Monday when marches will be held in the big cities of Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Dortmund and Nuremberg.

In Germany, Easter marches became a well-established part of the anti-war and anti-nuclear movements during the Cold War.

In 2005, over 10,000 people participated in the marches in 65 cities, while in 2003 more than 100,000 people went to the street to protest the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

The German marches are an offshoot of anti-nuclear protest marches first staged in Britain during the Easter holiday in 1958 by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.