Thousands across Germany protest AfD after state election win
Thousands of people across Germany protested against the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) on Monday following its landslide victory in the Saxony-Anhalt state election. In Berlin, police estimated a crowd of around 5,000 at Brandenburg Gate, while organizers claimed 14,000 attended. The rally, called at short notice by Campact and Fridays for Future, included climate activist Luisa Neubauer and Berlin state election candidates. Protesters chanted "All together against fascism!" and carried banners like "Fascism is not an alternative," while the domestic intelligence agency has classified the AfD's state branch as "confirmed right-wing extremist." Protests also occurred in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Essen, Potsdam, and Hesse, with about 2,500 demonstrating in Frankfurt on Sunday. The AfD fell short of an absolute majority, leaving open the possibility of Germany's first AfD-led state government.