Demonstrators protest against the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) outside the Reichstag building in Berlin, Germany, on February 3, 2024.
- Massive protests have taken to the streets in Germany due to growing support for far-right parties.
- Opinion polls show that public support for the Alternative for Germany (AfD) has fallen below 20% for the first time since July.
- The protests were sparked last month by reports that two senior AfD officials were discussing plans for mass deportations of foreigners.
Nationwide protests against the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party entered their fourth week, with around 150,000 people taking to the streets of Berlin on Saturday.
Protests have also taken place in cities such as Dresden and Hannover, raising concerns about strong public support for the AfD.
People gathered at the Reichstag building in Berlin, where demonstrators gathered under the slogan “We are the firewall” to protest right-wing extremism and show support for democracy.
“In Eisenach, in Homburg, in Berlin, in big cities and metropolises across the country, many people are uniting to demonstrate against forgetting, hatred and hate speech,” Prime Minister Olaf Scholz told X. wrote.
He said the protests were “a strong signal of support for democracy and the constitution.”
The success of the AfD has caused concern among Germany's mainstream parties, even though recent opinion polls show that its support has declined slightly. There are concerns that the AfD could win a landslide victory in the two state elections.
Read | Angry farmers gather in Brussels to protest EU summit
Jakob Springfeld, head of the NGO Solidarity Network Saxony, said it had taken so long for large-scale demonstrations against the far right to take place, given that the AfD had already achieved success in many small communities. He said he was shocked.
“But there is an upheaval happening right now. And I believe the fact that that upheaval is coming gives us hope.”
Earlier this week, a Forsa poll revealed that support for the AfD had fallen below 20% for the first time since July, with voters citing nationwide demonstrations against the far-right as their top priority.
According to the poll, the AfD remains in second place behind the main opposition conservative party with 32%, while Scholz's centre-left Social Democratic Party is in third place with 15%.
Also read | British Prime Minister Sunak says controversial Rwanda asylum plan is 'the will of the people'
The protests followed reports last month that two senior AfD officials attended a meeting to discuss plans for mass deportations of foreign-born nationals.
The AfD denies that the proposal represents party policy.
AfD co-leader Tino Churupala told broadcaster Deutschlandfunk that protesters were “justified to take to the streets with the government” but that they were trying to distract the parties from the country's real problems. He said people should not allow themselves to be taken advantage of.
Chulpala said Germany also includes Germans with immigrant backgrounds and the party has no intention of expelling them.
