More than 1.4 million protest against right-wing extremism in Germany
- Mobilisation sparked by report that Alternative for Germany (AfD) members discussed expulsion of immigrants, ‘non-assimilated citizens’ with extremists
- On Sunday, rallies were held in Berlin, Munich and Cologne, as well as in more traditional AfD strongholds in eastern Germany
More than 1.4 million people have taken to the streets across towns and cities in Germany this weekend as the country enters a second week of nationwide protests against the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, protest organisers said.
Demonstrations have gained momentum after reports emerged from investigative news website Correctiv of a meeting of right-wing extremists in Potsdam at which migration policies including mass deportations of people of foreign origin were discussed.
The AfD, which is polling second in nationwide surveys, has denied the reported migration plans are party policy.
On Sunday, rallies were held in Berlin, Munich and Cologne, as well as in more traditional AfD voting strongholds in eastern Germany such as Leipzig and Dresden, with turnout in many places far higher than expected.
Organisers in Munich ended the demonstration early because of overcrowding with around 100,000 protesters, according to police. Protest organisers said 200,000 people attended. At the start of the event in Berlin, there were 30,000 people and the number was growing, police said.
Several tens of thousands also took to the streets in Cologne and Bremen on Sunday. Event organisers estimated around 300,000 people protested nationwide on Saturday.
“It’s a signal to the world that we won’t let this happen without commenting on it,” said protester Steffi Kirschenmann, a social counsellor based in Frankfurt, one of tens of thousands that gathered peacefully in sub-zero temperatures in Frankfurt’s centre on Saturday.
