Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Berlin and other German cities on Saturday to protest the growing influence of the far-right, anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, as the country approaches the February 23 general election.
A massive crowd gathered at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate, where demonstrators blew whistles, sang anti-fascist songs, and waved banners condemning the AfD. Organizers aimed not only to challenge the AfD’s rise but also to highlight the growing strength of far-right parties across Europe and the newly inaugurated administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
“We must recognize that those who fuel racism and attack climate protection aren’t just campaigning—they are putting lives at risk,” said Luisa Neubauer from the Fridays for Future climate group, addressing the crowd, which police estimated at 35,000. In Cologne, a similar rally drew an estimated 40,000 people.
Germany has been deeply unsettled in recent months following the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-party coalition, sparked by disagreements on how to address the country’s economic stagnation.
While protests were underway, the AfD officially launched its election campaign in the central city of Halle, where party leader Alice Weidel spoke to an audience of about 4,500.
Mainstream political parties, including Scholz’s Social Democrats, have pledged not to collaborate with the AfD. In pre-election polls, the center-right Union bloc, led by Friedrich Merz, remains ahead, with the far-right AfD trailing closely behind.
Merz, who is a leading candidate for chancellor, announced Friday that his party would introduce motions to Parliament next week aimed at tightening migration policies—one of the key issues of the election. This stance risks accusations of indirectly collaborating with the AfD if these motions pass with the party’s support.
Merz had previously promised to prevent entry for people without proper documentation and to escalate deportations if he becomes chancellor. These remarks followed a knife attack in Aschaffenburg, allegedly committed by a rejected asylum seeker, which resulted in the deaths of a man and a 2-year-old child.
