As of: January 21, 2024, 5:19 p.m
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Thousands of people demonstrate in Berlin against the right.
© Carsten Koall/dpa
Frankfurt and Hanover, but also Sylt and Spremberg: Hundreds of thousands of people are demonstrating peacefully against the right across the entire republic.
Their goals: “Defend democracy” and “Together against the AfD”.
Berlin - Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in Germany over the weekend against the right and for democracy.
In Munich, the organizer canceled an anti-right demonstration with at least 80,000 people because of overcrowding.
The safety of the participants can no longer be guaranteed, a police spokesman said on Sunday.
The organizer even spoke of 250,000 demonstrators.
Tens of thousands of people also took to the streets in many other places, such as Cologne and Bremen.
This means that the protests that have been going on for days have reached a temporary climax.
In some cities there are no final participant numbers yet.
On Saturday, police and organizers had already counted a total of at least 300,000 people.
The focus was on Hanover, Frankfurt and Stuttgart.
In eastern Germany, Halle was one of the places where a large number of demonstrators gathered.
The police spoke of around 16,000 participants there.
New state parliaments will be elected in September in Brandenburg, Saxony and Thuringia.
According to surveys, the AfD could become the strongest force in all three countries, some by a significant margin.
Federal President thanks for commitment to democracy
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier thanked the demonstrators for their commitment to democracy.
“These people encourage us all.
They defend our republic and our constitution against its enemies.
They defend our humanity,” he said in a video message in Berlin.
Very different people took to the streets.
“But they all have one thing in common: they are now standing up against misanthropy and right-wing extremism.
They want to continue to live together freely and peacefully in the future.” What is now needed is an alliance of all democrats.
“The future of our democracy does not depend on the loudness of its opponents - but on the strength of those who defend democracy.
Let’s show that we are stronger together.”
Politicians from the Greens and SPD praise the protest
Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck viewed the demonstrations as an encouraging sign for democracy.
“Democracy lives from the people who stand up for it,” said the Green politician to the “Augsburger Allgemeine”.
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) praised the increasing anti-right-wing protests in Germany, especially in smaller and medium-sized cities.
“That is the strength in our country,” she said in Potsdam.
When it came to the question of whether one was a human being or a misanthrope, people took to the streets - even without big calls and for the first time.
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With the demonstrations, the participants want to send a signal of resistance against right-wing extremist activities.
© Pia Bayer/dpa
The Federal Government's Integration Commissioner, Reem Alabali-Radovan, described the demonstrations as “good and important”.
“We need an alliance across society,” said the SPD politician “Zeit Online”.
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) wrote on the X platform, formerly Twitter: “So many people who show faces and attitudes - our democracy lives from strong democrats like you!”
Holocaust survivors express their gratitude
The International Auschwitz Committee thanked the people for their protest.
“Holocaust survivors are more than grateful to all those who are taking to the streets these days against the hatred and lies of the right-wing extremists.
They see these demonstrations as a powerful sign from the citizens and a revival of democracy that they have long hoped and waited for,” said Executive Vice President Christoph Heubner.
Demonstration against right-wing extremism in Flensburg.
© Birgitta von Gyldenfeldt/dpa
The protests were triggered by the revelations by the Correctiv research center about a meeting of right-wing extremists on November 25th, in which AfD politicians as well as individual members of the CDU and the very conservative Values Union took part in Potsdam.
The former head of the right-wing extremist Identitarian Movement in Austria, Martin Sellner, said he spoke about “remigration” at the meeting.
When right-wing extremists use the term, they usually mean that large numbers of people of foreign origin should leave the country - even under duress.
dpa