Berlin, Jan 21 (EFE).- More than 200,000 people took to the streets in cities like Berlin, Munich and Cologne on Sunday to protest against the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD).
Similar demonstrations were held on Saturday, with an estimated 300,000 turning out in more than 80 cities nationwide to denounce the party after news emerged last week that some of the party’s members had met with neo-Nazis, far-right and ultra-conservatives to allegedly discuss plans to expel millions of people of foreign origin from the country.
In the German capital, the protest was called by an alliance of parties, NGOs and trade unions with the slogan ‘Defend democracy: together against the right’, while the attendees carried banners with slogans such as “No place for Nazis” or “Human rights instead of right-wing humans”.
Police in Berlin told Efe that between 50,000 and 100,000 people attended the rally.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Sunday issued a statement supporting the demonstrations.
“They are standing up against xenophobia and right-wing extremism (…) They are defending our republic and our constitution against its enemies. They are defending our humanity,” he said.
“The future of our democracy does not depend on the volume of its enemies, but on the strength of those who defend it. Let’s show that we are stronger together,” Steinmeier said.
Despite the anger and indignation triggered by the news about the AfD’s alleged plans, the latest voting polls predict that the far-right party will achieve record results in the upcoming regional elections.
When voting takes place in September in the states of Thuringia, Brandenburg and Saxony, all in the east of the country, the AfD is likely to win in all three with about a third of the ballots, while nationally the party is polling in second place with about 22% of the vote. EFE
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