Tens of Thousands Rally Across Germany Against Far-Right Extremism

Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in over 35 German cities against right-wing extremism and for democracy, following the AfD's success in the Saxony-Anhalt state election. Protests occurred in Munich, Hamburg, Berlin, Magdeburg, Schwerin, Dresden, and Leipzig, organized by local groups. An overpartisan alliance of more than 100 organizations, initiatives, and unions called for the protests. In Berlin, police reported about 13,000 attendees; Munich had 12,000; Hamburg and Düsseldorf each saw around 20,000. Some demonstrators, notably in Hamburg, demanded the Bundesrat initiate an AfD ban procedure at the Federal Constitutional Court. Political scientist Kai-Uwe Schnapp warned that banning the AfD would be a mistake, arguing it would illegitimately exclude over a quarter of voters from democratic discourse. Hamburg Bishop Kirsten Fehrs expressed deep dismay and urged civil society to stand firmly against exclusion and hate, while Düsseldorf's "Omas gegen Rechts" and many families joined peacefully.