Thousands rallied in German cities after the AfD’s strong election result in Saxony-Anhalt, with about 15,000 gathering in Berlin.
Thousands of people took to the streets across Germany on Monday to protest the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) after its decisive victory in Saxony-Anhalt, with about 15,000 people gathering at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate, according to organizers. Police put the turnout at just over 5,000.
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The Berlin rally was organized by human rights groups, political parties and trade unions and included representatives of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU).
The demonstration passed without incident, drawing climate activist Luisa Neubauer as well as politicians from the Greens and the left-wing Die Linke party.
Die Linke called for a major shift away from what it described as the Merz government’s social spending cuts. Soeren Pellmann, the party’s parliamentary leader in the federal parliament, warned that continued cuts could threaten democracy.
“If it does not stop dismantling the social safety net, it will be the gravedigger of democracy,” Pellmann said. “Never has so much money been spent on armaments. Never before has so little been spent on our ecological and social future.”
Speakers at the rally repeatedly criticized Merz’s government, particularly its tougher policies toward migrants. Protesters argued that the CDU’s approach had helped create political space for the AfD.
“They are also responsible for what has happened,” said Lidia K., a 40-year-old veterinarian who attended the demonstration. She said the CDU’s right-wing rhetoric had strengthened the AfD.
“The CDU’s right-wing rhetoric has fueled the AfD,” she said. “They are cutting aid and sowing the growth of fascism.”
Neubauer also criticized the governing coalition of the CDU, the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and Bavaria’s Christian Social Union (CSU).
“The government has adopted, quite naturally, the most right-wing language and programs,” she said. “They are presenting themselves here to say that the firewall does not work. Are they crazy?”
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The far-right AfD won the elections in Saxony-Anhalt with over 44% of the vote, close to an absolute majority and poised to form the first far-right regional government in Germany.
With over 95% of the votes counted, Prime Minister Sven Schulze’s CDU garnered just over 18%. The Left Party obtained 9.3%, the Greens 8.7%, and the SPD between 8.4% and 8.7%.
Protesters voice concerns over AfD support
Among those demonstrating was Martina Kuemmerle, a 72-year-old member of the Grandmothers Against the Right group. Originally from Halle in Saxony-Anhalt, she said fear and the region’s continuing economic difficulties had contributed to support for the AfD.
“People are afraid. In the former GDR, they are still suffering from the industrial disaster that followed reunification,” Kuemmerle said.
She said she expected the AfD to continue gaining support in western Germany as the country’s industrial crisis continued. But she said she was particularly troubled by acquaintances from her generation, including academics and other highly educated people, who had voted for the party.
The Berlin protest featured banners reading “Fascism is not an alternative” and “Stop the AfD Nazis! Out with racism and social cuts.” Demonstrators also chanted, “All together against fascism.”
Other anti-AfD demonstrations were held Monday in parts of Germany including Essen, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Potsdam.
An Infratest Dimap poll published Monday found that 64% of Germans were “concerned” about the AfD’s decisive victory in Saxony-Anhalt, while 24% said they were “happy” with the result.
The poll also found that 45% of respondents believed AfD candidate Ulrich Siegmund should become minister-president of Saxony-Anhalt. At the same time, 51% said other parties should take the AfD more into account when shaping their policies.
The demonstrations came after the AfD’s strong performance in Saxony-Anhalt, prompting protests in several parts of Germany and renewed criticism of the policies of Merz’s government.
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