Tens of thousands protested in Germany against the far right

Tens of thousands of people attended rallies across Germany on Saturday against the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, the latest in a wave of such protests over the past two weeks.
Nearly 150,000 people came out in Berlin, according to police, some forming a human chain outside parliament. The organizers put the figure at 300,000. There were similar protests in about 200 other cities in the country. The wave of mobilization against the AfD was sparked by a January 10 report by the investigative magazine Correctiv. It revealed that party members had discussed the expulsion of immigrants and "unassimilated nationals" in a meeting with extremists.
The announcement sent shockwaves across Germany at a time when the "Alternative" was rising in opinion polls, months before three major regional elections in eastern Germany, where their support is strongest. "All together against racism," shouted the crowd in Berlin. Some held signs reading "Heart instead of hate" or "Racism is not an alternative."
"I don't know if these demonstrations will influence AfD voters," Margret Hurt, a 53-year-old babysitter, told AFP. "But it's important to send a signal because ... we need more humanity and respect for our differences." "I came to set an example. I was born in Germany," said Martin Raue, a university professor who came from Sweden to attend the rally. The rally in Berlin was organized by the Hand in Hand collective, which consists of 1,800 organizations.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz welcomed the demonstrations in a post early Saturday online. "Many citizens are coming together to demonstrate again this weekend against forgetting, against hatred and incitement to hatred. A strong sign of our democracy and our constitution," he wrote. Markus Söder, the influential leader of the conservative Christian Democratic Party, which is in opposition, denounced the AzG as a "deep far-right party" in a commentary for the Rheinische Post. "I am literally shocked every time I hear their hate speech," he added. AfD condemned "campaign against the only real opposition party in Germany" in a publication by X. /BGNES, AFP