In 1982, people began to meet every Monday at 5 p.m. in the Nikolaikirche in Leipzig for a Friedensgebet, a prayer for peace, as a protest against the arms race of the Cold War. Different groups prepared it each week. In 1989 the prayers became the starting point of the Monday demonstrations. On 9 October 1989, more than 70,000 people demonstrated peacefully in Leipzig against the East German regime. The prayer for peace still takes place every Monday, except during the summer break. Pünktlich um 17 Uhr beginnt es auch heute noch. It still begins punctually at 5 p.m.