German protests demand ban on far-right AfD after state election win

Tens of thousands of people protested across Germany on Saturday against the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, demanding its ban following its landslide victory in a state election. Around 150,000 demonstrators gathered in roughly 20 cities, including Berlin, Hamburg, and Munich, in rallies organized by the campaign group Pruef. Protesters carried signs reading "Ban the AfD now" and "Democracy needs no alternatives," with organizers reporting turnouts of about 25,000 in Hamburg and 12,000 in Munich. The protests follow the AfD's stunning result in Saxony-Anhalt on September 6, where it took nearly 44 percent of the vote, far ahead of the CDU's 17 percent. The party is now in talks to form a government, which would make it the first far-right party to lead a German state since 1945. All mainstream parties have so far refused to govern with the AfD under a policy known as the "firewall."