Tens of Thousands Take to Streets Across Germany Against Far Right

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets across Germany on Saturday to protest against the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), days after the party secured a sweeping victory in a state election.

Around 150,000 demonstrators marched in roughly 20 cities, including Berlin, Hamburg and Munich, according to organisers. The protests were called by Pruef, a group campaigning for a ban on the AfD.

Protesters carried placards reading “Ban the AfD now” and “Democracy needs no alternatives” as they rallied against the party’s growing political influence.

“A broad cross-section of civil society is taking to the streets to prevent the enemies of the constitution, the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt, from gaining government power,” said Christoph Bautz, head of campaign group Campact, which also participated in the demonstrations.

AfD Seeks State Government Power

The AfD won nearly 44% of the vote in last Sunday’s election in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, far ahead of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s centre-right CDU, which secured about 17%.

The result has put the AfD in a position to seek power at the state level. The party fell three seats short of an outright majority and has begun talks with other groups and lawmakers in an attempt to form a government.

If successful, it would mark the first time an extreme-right party has led a German state government since World War II.

The AfD’s rise has alarmed many Germans who believe the country has a particular responsibility to confront the legacy of its Nazi past. Calls for banning the party have intensified, although Germany’s constitutional process for outlawing a political party presents significant hurdles.

Merz has remained sceptical about pursuing such a ban.

Protests Held Across Major Cities

In Berlin, police said several thousand people took part in multiple demonstrations. The AfD also held a counter-demonstration in the capital, attended by Kristin Brinker, the party’s lead candidate in next weekend’s regional elections in Berlin.

Campact estimated that around 25,000 people demonstrated in Hamburg and another 12,000 in Munich.

The protests come as the AfD, known for its anti-immigration stance and favourable views towards Russia, seeks to expand its influence beyond eastern Germany and gain a foothold in government.