The residents of major German cities took to the streets on Sunday to express their protest against racism.

All of them were marching under the common motto “Hand in Hand Against Racism,” forming miles-long human chains, according to social media and local municipal press.

In Berlin, some 9,000 people took part in the demonstrations, in Munich they brought together from 3,500 to 5,000 participants, according to various estimates, while in Hamburg at least 7,200 people were involved in the protest action.

The city of Bochum literally witnessed “almost four kilometers” of human chain holding each other’s hands in support of equality and human diversity.

According to live social media posts, the weather was rainy in some of the cities, but it did not stop the activists who brought with them bright umbrellas.

Germany has become a key destination for hundreds of thousands of migrants coming to Europe. According to German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere, the country received around 1.1 million registered migrants last year alone.

The rallies across Germany were held ahead of the June 20 World Refugee Day, which is dedicated to raising awareness of the situation of refugees throughout the world.