150,000 Protest Far-Right AfD Across Germany After Election Breakthrough
On September 12, roughly 150,000 demonstrators took to the streets across approximately 20 German cities, including Berlin, Hamburg, and Munich, to protest against the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, according to reports by RTE.ie and France 24. The nationwide mobilization follows the AfD’s breakthrough victory in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, where the anti-immigration party captured nearly 44 percent of the vote and launched efforts to form Germany’s first extreme-right state government since World War II.
Mass Mobilization After Saxony-Anhalt State Election
The protests were organized by Pruef, a civic group that advocates for a legal ban on the AfD, alongside other civil society organizations such as Campact.
The electoral success in Saxony-Anhalt saw the AfD finish far ahead of the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which secured 17 percent of the vote. Although the AfD fell three seats short of an absolute majority, the party has initiated coalition talks with other groups and independent members of parliament to secure a governing majority.
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Political Hurdles and the Debate Over a Party Ban
The AfD’s surge has intensified national debates regarding Germany’s historical responsibility to counter extremist political movements. Calls from civil rights advocates to formally ban the party have grown louder, though legal thresholds for outlawing a political party in Germany remain exceptionally high. Chancellor Friedrich Merz, of the centre-right CDU party, has expressed skepticism regarding the feasibility and wisdom of pursuing a formal ban through the courts.
In Berlin, where regional elections are scheduled for the following weekend, police reported that several thousand individuals participated in rival demonstrations. The AfD staged a counter-demonstration in the capital featuring Kristin Brinker, the party’s lead candidate for the Berlin regional race. Crowd estimates from Campact placed turnout at approximately 25,000 in Hamburg and 12,000 in Munich, reflecting widespread polarization across urban centers.
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