A wave of demonstrations has swept across the country as the right-wing party gears up for elections next month
Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in Germany to rally against the rise of the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. The demonstrations come ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for late February, with the AfD, known for its hardline anti-migrant stance, polling at around 20%.
The demonstrations took place on Saturday in several cities, including Berlin and Cologne, with the authorities estimating the numbers at 35,000 and 40,000, respectively. According to videos circulating on social media, a large crowd gathered in front of the iconic Brandenburg Gate in the German capital, chanting slogans and carrying banners denouncing the AfD and saying, “No human is illegal.”
The protests come after the AfD officially launched its election campaign earlier this week in Halle, central Germany, with the event reportedly attracting 4,500 people. The conference landed in the media spotlight after Elon Musk, the owner of X and close ally of US President Donald Trump, spoke at the conference via videolink, expressing his “full support” for the AfD and urging people to “preserve German culture” and “protect the German people.” He had previously faced accusations of meddling in the country’s internal affairs.
„Wehrt euch, leistet Widerstand. Gegen den Faschismus hier im Land. Haltet fest zusammen, haltet fest zusammen!“#b2501pic.twitter.com/YnTeAU1dNN
The parliamentary elections were announced and set for February 23 after Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government coalition collapsed due to disagreements over economic reforms, climate policy, and Ukraine aid.
The AfD is currently the second most popular party in Germany, with 21% of support, according to the Institute for New Social Answers (INSA). The center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has 30% of support, while Scholz’s Social Democrats (SDP) lag behind with 16%.
Earlier this week, the CDU signaled its readiness to implement harsher anti-migration measures “if the AfD supports our proposals,” which stands in contrast with the party’s policies in the 2010s when it welcomed hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers.
The apparent U-turn came after numerous reports of migrants committing violent crimes. In a recent incident, the German authorities arrested a 28-year-old man from Afghanistan after a knife attack in a park in Aschaffenburg that killed two people, including a two-year-old boy.
