Tens of thousands demonstrate against the AfD: 20,000 in Düsseldorf alone
In several German cities, tens of thousands of people took to the streets on Saturday afternoon to protest against right-wing extremism and the AfD. In Düsseldorf, both police and organizers counted around 20,000 participants; in Hamburg, organizers reported approximately 25,000 people, though no police figures were initially available there. In Berlin, the police reported 18,000, while organizers claimed 32,000. In Munich, around 12,000 people gathered, in Leipzig about 3,000, in Mainz around 2,000, in Saarbrücken about 1,500, and in Magdeburg around 1,100. Most of the rallies began at 2 p.m.
The trigger is the state election in Saxony-Anhalt on September 6th. The AfD became the strongest force there with 43.8 percent and holds 39 of the 83 seats. The CDU received 17.2 percent, and the SPD 9.3 percent. No other party is willing to form a coalition with the AfD, and the previous coalition no longer holds a majority.
The protests were called for by the "Zeit zum Handeln" (Time to Act) alliance and the PRÜF initiative, which is backed by former Member of the European Parliament Nico Semsrott and supported by around 100 organizations, including trade unions, "Omas gegen Rechts" (Grandmas Against the Right), and Fridays for Future. The central demand is for a review process to ban the AfD. It is important to note for context: only the Federal Government, the Bundestag, or the Bundesrat can file an application with the Federal Constitutional Court, not a demonstration or a state parliament. North Rhine-Westphalia's Minister-President Hendrik Wüst has proposed a joint working group between the federal and state governments, but nothing has been decided yet.
The demonstrations are set to continue. PRÜF has announced them as a permanent format, to be held every second Saturday of the month at 2 p.m. until a review application is filed. No incidents, counter-protests, or arrests were initially reported from the mentioned cities.
If you would like to join, please check the date and meeting point the day before with local alliances, as start times and routes are subject to short-notice adjustments. Today's participant numbers are preliminary; police and organizers conduct their counts separately.