Massive protest in Germany against far-right AfD ahead of election

MUNICH, GERMANY — 

More than 200,000 protesters rallied successful Munich, Germany, connected Saturday against far-right extremism up of the country's wide election.

The far-right, anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany, oregon AfD, is successful 2nd spot successful caller polls and has prompted wide protests crossed the state earlier voters formed their ballots connected Feb. 23.

The protestation astatine Munich's Theresienwiese — wherever Oktoberfest takes spot each twelvemonth — brought a importantly larger assemblage than expected, according to the German dpa quality agency. The event's organizer estimated the assemblage could beryllium up to 320,000 people, galore of whom carried signs against the AfD with slogans like, “Racism and hatred is not an alternative."

The protestation was supported by activistic groups arsenic good arsenic the Munich Film Festival, churches and Munich shot clubs FC Bayern and TSV 1860, among others. Police told dpa that the objection was peaceful.

Similar protests attracted ample crowds Saturday successful Hanover, Rostock and elsewhere successful Germany, mirroring different demonstrations that person occurred crossed the state successful caller weeks.

Last period astatine Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate, a immense assemblage blew whistles, sang antifascist songs and carried banners denouncing AfD. Activists said they hoped the rally besides would gully attraction to different far-right parties successful Europe and the caller medication of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Demonstrators person precocious besides opposed Friedrich Merz, the center-right person and front-runner successful the upcoming election, and his Christian Democrats for past period sending to parliament proposals for pugnacious caller migration rules that received AfD's backing.

The protesters accidental Merz and his enactment broke Germany’s unwritten post-Nazi committedness by each antiauthoritarian parties to ne'er walk immoderate regularisation oregon solution successful parliament with the enactment of far-right, nationalist parties similar the AfD. Merz insists his presumption is unchanged and that helium didn’t and won’t enactment with the party.

The 12-year-old AfD entered the nationalist parliament successful 2017, benefiting from then-Chancellor Angela Merkel ’s determination 2 years earlier to let ample numbers of migrants into the country.