German Protests Against AfD Draw 150,000 in 20 Cities

Tens of thousands of people protested on Saturday against the far-right party AfD, which won the state election in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, last weekend. The party is now attempting to form the first far-right state government in Germany since World War II. Around 150,000 demonstrators took to the streets in about 20 German cities to protest against AfD, chanting slogans such as "Ban AfD now" and "Democracy needs no alternatives." The protests follow AfD's nearly 44 percent vote share in Saxony-Anhalt, where it missed an outright majority and is negotiating with other parties to form a government. Chancellor Friedrich Merz's CDU party received 17.2 percent of the votes in the election. The demonstrations reflect widespread concern over AfD's rise, with the party's new members drawing attention for their Stasi past, far-right extremism, and controversial backgrounds.