BERLIN (AP) — Thousands of people have joined rallies across Germany and other European countries to show their support for the idea of a united Europe.

The weekly protests began last year as an attempt to counter growing nationalist sentiment on the continent, often expressed in opposition to the European Union.

#pulseofeurope Now almost 6000 Berliners & many more pro Europeans in over 40 cities are now singing the Ode to Joy pic.twitter.com/zq2W8fJqHr — Funk (@funk67) March 12, 2017

Protesters in Berlin, Frankfurt, Cologne and dozens of other locations danced, sang and waved the EU flag – 12 stars on a blue background – during the rallies Sunday.

The protests are organized on social media by a group calling itself Pulse of Europe .

The group says it isn’t tied to any particular political party.