Around 20 German cities saw demonstrations against the rise of the Alternative for Germany party, with organisers putting participation at about 150,000. The protests followed the far-right party's lead in last week's Saxony-Anhalt state election and its efforts to form a regional government. The demonstrations were organised at the call of the Campact movement, which is seeking a ban on the party, and took place in Berlin, Hamburg and Munich.
Protesters call for AfD ban
Participants held signs calling for the AfD to be banned and affirming their commitment to democracy. Christoph Bautz, head of the Campact group involved in organising the protests, said a broad section of civil society had taken to the streets to prevent what he called “enemies of the constitution” from reaching power in Saxony-Anhalt.
In Berlin, police estimated that several thousand people took part in a number of demonstrations. Campact said about 25,000 people participated in Hamburg and 12,000 in Munich. Meanwhile, the AfD held a demonstration in the capital attended by Kristin Brinker, its lead candidate in next week's regional election in Berlin.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz, leader of the Christian Democratic Union, remains reluctant to pursue this option.
