Over 1 million Germans unite against far‑right AfD in biggest protests for decades
The demonstrations were prompted by the growing popularity of the AfD party and the exposure of information surrounding a November meeting in Potsdam. At the meeting, party members reportedly discussed the forced deportations of millions of people from the country.
According to estimates from organizers and the police, roughly 300,000 people took to the streets of Germany on Saturday. Activists from the group Together Against Right believe that over 1.5 million people participated in the weekend protests overall. Protesters carried banners bearing slogans such as "Nazis Out," "All Together Against Fascism," and "Defend Democracy."
As reported by "Bild", as many as 100,000 people may have participated in the demonstrations in Berlin on Sunday. Due to the large crowd, police could not accurately estimate the total number of participants. Meanwhile, the protest had to be canceled in Munich because too many people - approximately 100,000 - intended to participate, according to the police.
Thousands of individuals also took to city streets, including Frankfurt, Hanover, Cologne, Bremen, and Leipzig. According to police, around 30,000 people participated in demonstrations in Dortmund and Bonn. In Bremen, organizers claimed there were around 50,000 participants. Protests occurred in Pirna (Saxony), where AfD politician Tim Lochner was elected as the new mayor in December, and in smaller German cities such as Erfurt, Kassel, and Halle.
The protests against the right-wing party will continue in numerous cities on Monday. Sociologist Klaus Hurrelmann views these protests as indicative of shifting societal attitudes.
The AfD made its debut in the German Parliament in 2017. The right-wing party's popularity is steadily increasing, with the AfD securing a high third-place position in the recent elections. In 2014, the party won its first seats in the European Parliament.
Sources: "Bild", "Münchner Merkur", Jurist.org, Al Jazeera
