- Thousands protest in Germany against the rise of far-right party AfD
- Germans heading for a general election on 23 Feb
- AfD currently polling in second place
- AfD has support from Elon Musk but is unlikely to get into power
Thousands Protest in Germany Against Far-Right Ahead of Election
Thousands of people across Germany took to the streets on Saturday to protest the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, just weeks before the general election on February 23. Demonstrators in Berlin gathered at the Brandenburg Gate, lighting up their phones, blowing whistles, and singing anti-fascist songs, while in Cologne, protesters carried banners condemning the AfD.
The AfD, known for its anti-immigrant stance, is currently polling in second place, trailing behind the centre-right Union bloc led by Friedrich Merz. Merz recently announced plans to introduce stricter migration policies in parliament next week, a move seen as risky given the potential for AfD support.
Merz has also pledged to prevent undocumented migrants from entering Germany and to increase deportations if elected chancellor. His comments followed a knife attack in Aschaffenburg by a rejected asylum-seeker, which left a man and a 2-year-old boy dead and became a focal point in the election campaign.
Protesters, including activists from the Fridays for Future movement, called the Berlin rally a “sea of light against the right turn.” They aimed to highlight concerns over the far-right’s growing influence and draw parallels to the policies of former US President Donald Trump.
Meanwhile, the AfD launched its election campaign in Halle, where party leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla addressed a crowd of around 4,500 people. Weidel, the AfD’s chancellor candidate, received remote support from Elon Musk but remains unlikely to secure power, as other German parties have ruled out cooperating with the AfD.
