German protesters call for ban on far-right AfD after Saxony-Anhalt vote
Around 150,000 people protested in about 20 German cities on Saturday against the far-right party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), with demonstrators calling for the party to be banned. The protests, organized by the group Pruef, follow AfD's nearly 44 percent vote share in last week's Saxony-Anhalt state election. Demonstrations in Berlin, Hamburg, and Munich featured signs reading "Ban AfD now" and "Democracy needs no alternatives." AfD is attempting to form Germany's most right-wing state government since World War II, missing an absolute majority by three seats. Chancellor Friedrich Merz has so far ruled out banning the party, while protesters cite Germany's special responsibility regarding its Nazi past.