Thousands of Germans took to the streets in several cities to protest the rise of far-right extremism and the growing popularity of the anti-immigration party Alternative for Germany (AfD).
People blew whistles and sang anti-fascist songs at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate, and demonstrators in the western city of Cologne held up banners denouncing the AfD.
Protests also occurred as the AfD launched an election campaign in the central city of Halle. Approximately 4,500 AfD supporters gathered at the venue, where party leader and prime ministerial candidate Alice Weidell addressed the audience.
Immigration at center of debate ahead of February 23 election
Weidell began his speech on immigration, a topic that has emerged to the forefront of the campaign, particularly in Germany this week.
Two people, including a two-year-old child, were killed in a knife attack in the Bavarian city of Aschaffenburg on Wednesday. An Afghan man who was scheduled to be deported has been detained on suspicion of carrying out the attack.
The AfD’s official manifesto calls for the swift deportation of rejected asylum seekers and illegal immigrants, and the party has been heavily criticized for several controversial ideas.
AfD leaps to second place in opinion poll
The latest polls show the far-right party AfD in second place with 20%, while the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party the Christian Social Union (CSU) is in first place. Approximately 31%.
Prime Minister Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) is currently in third place with 15%, slightly ahead of the Greens’ 14%.
Musk joins AfD campaign launch
Elon Musk, the US billionaire and adviser to President Donald Trump, again endorsed the AfD on Saturday, appearing by video link at the party’s campaign launch ahead of Mr Weidell’s speech.
Musk, who has been accused of meddling in European politics, said: “I’m very excited about the AfD. I think you really are the best hope for Germany,” adding that he was “proud” to be German. He added that it doesn’t matter.
“Frankly, I think there’s too much focus on the sins of the past. We need to move beyond that. Children are guilty of the sins of their parents and even their great-grandparents. We shouldn’t,” he said.
At President Trump’s inauguration on Monday, Musk drew attention with a gesture reminiscent of the Nazi salute.
Mr. Weidel wished the United States well under the current Trump administration, and adopted President Trump’s slogan, “Make Germany Great Again.”
Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Office for Defender of the Constitution (BfV), has classified the AfD as a “suspected” far-right extremist organization.
Tens of thousands protest against right-wing extremism
Tens of thousands of people took part in demonstrations against right-wing extremism in several cities, and Weidel’s event was also met with protests in Halle.
Cologne police estimated the number of participants on Saturday afternoon to be “well over 20,000.” Organizers originally had registered between 5,000 and 10,000 participants.
Despite the large crowd, a police spokesperson said everything went smoothly.
kb/rm (dpa, AFP)
