Trump waves Nazi stars and stripes, Hamas pushes families in front of Israeli tanks, and Putin is in a very compromising position with the head of the Russian church.

Written by Miriam Cooper

18:29 12 February 2024, updated 18:43 12 February 2024

The floats showed Trump waving the Nazi stars and stripes, Hamas pushing families in front of Israeli tanks, and Putin in a compromising position with the head of the Russian church in an annual German satirical parade.

Crowds of revelers took to the streets of Germany's Carnival strongholds for Pink Monday parades, a traditional high point for Carnival celebrations in Cologne, Düsseldorf, Mainz and elsewhere in western Germany.

Each year, the expensive and complex maquettes feature giant caricatures of politicians, addressing current national and global issues with biting satire.

In Dusseldorf, a vehicle was set up carrying former US President Donald Trump carrying scissors and an American flag cut into the shape of a swastika.

Another depicted the 2024 presidential candidate stabbing a Ukrainian soldier in the back — a sign of opposition among Republicans to helping Ukraine.

One float appeared to show Vladimir Putin kneeling in camouflage clothing holding the head of the Russian Church, Patriarch Kirill.

The latter also appeared to be kneeling, holding on to Putin and pressing his face to the Russian leader's forehead.

The extremely compromising position taken by Putin and Kirill suggests that the head of the Russian Church is performing a sexual act on the president of his country. On the side of the float was written: “From Russia with love.”

The war between Israel and Hamas was also a theme, with a vehicle appearing in Düsseldorf depicting a figure wearing a military uniform with “Hamas” written on it pushing what appeared to be a family towards an Israeli tank.

This year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky walked the streets of Cologne carrying a banner that read “To be or to be NATO.” Zelensky wants Ukraine to be able to join the Western military alliance.

Another Düsseldorf Carnival float depicts Russian President Vladimir Putin eating Ukraine, with the caption “choke it.”

A sign was hung at the bottom of the float that read: “Two years old but unfortunately still new.”

In Mainz, a pink Barbie and Ken car of Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared behind Alice Weidel and Sahira Wagenknecht, co-leaders of the German political parties the far-right Alternative for Germany and Sahra-Wagenknecht coalition.

The Weidel and Wagenknecht parties criticize the sanctions imposed on Russia and oppose arms deliveries to Ukraine.

Another float criticized the media, with a drawing of a flame – written on the side saying “2023: Hottest year on record” – tapping the shoulder of a man holding a camera placed on an explosion-like sign that read “Wars”. .

The unpopular German government was ridiculed, with Chancellor Olaf Scholz portrayed as a sloth and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock as an elephant in a china shop, the German equivalent of a bull in a china shop.

One parade depicted Chancellor Olaf Scholz and showed him with a hole in his head, calling him “Hole-af Scholz.”

The parade in Dusseldorf included 8,000 participants in 85 walking groups and 110 floats.

The floats were designed by Jacques Tilly, Germany's leading designer of carnival floats, who in previous years has filmed satirical scenes with leaders such as Trump and Putin.

Millions of revelers also took to the streets across Germany today to celebrate the Rose Monday carnival, which traditionally takes place on the Monday before Ash Wednesday.

Schools are closed in the area so children can attend popular street parades featuring floats, brass bands and dance groups throwing candy, chocolates and flowers at onlookers.

In the Cologne street parade alone, parade participants threw 700,000 pieces of chocolate, 300,000 bouquets of flowers to spectators, and 220,000 boxes of chocolate candy.