Current:Home > NewsThe popularity of a far-right party produces counter-rallies across Germany-LoTradeCoin
The popularity of a far-right party produces counter-rallies across Germany
View Date:2024-12-23 21:57:18
BERLIN (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of people in Germany turned out for a third weekend to protest the popularity and policies of the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD party.
A rally in Hamburg took place Sunday with a theme of “For diversity and our democracy - Hamburg stands united against the AfD.” Organizers said that up to 100,000 people marched through the northern city.
In the western city of Duesseldorf, 100,000 demonstrators rallied Saturday under the slogan “Against the AfD - We will not remain silent. We do not look away. We are taking action!”
Dozens of smaller protests took place over the weekend, including in the cities of Aachen, Osnabrueck, Kiel, Sigmaringen and Wittenberg, German news agency dpa reported.
The pro-democracy demonstrations started two weeks ago after the investigative journalists’ group Correctiv published an article saying that right-wing extremists had recently met to discuss deporting millions of immigrants, including some with German citizenship. Some Alternative for Germany members were present at the meeting.
Growing anxiety over the AfD’s rising support among the German electorate has also catalyzed this month’s events showcasing opposition to the party.
An anti-AfD demonstration in Hamburg earlier this month had to be called-off when many more participants than expected showed up.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz applauded the large number of protesters, . He stressed that the government could not safeguard democracy in Germany alone but needs the backing of its citizens.
“Our democracy is not God-given. It is man-made,” the chancellor said in his weekly video podcast. “It is strong when we support it. And it needs us when it is under attack.”
The AfD was founded as a eurosceptic party in 2013 and first entered the German Bundestag, the national parliament, in 2017. Recent polling put the party in second place nationally with support of around 23%, far above the 10.3% of the vote it won during the last federal election in 2021.
Polls show AfD is the top party in eastern Germany, including in Brandenburg, Saxony and Thuringia states, which are slated to hold elections this fall.
veryGood! (2)
Related
- Certifying this year’s presidential results begins quietly, in contrast to the 2020 election
- 'Where's the Barbie section?': New movie boosts interest in buying, selling vintage dolls
- Max Verstappen wins F1 Belgian Grand Prix, leading Red Bull to record 13 consecutive wins
- What recession? It's a summer of splurging, profits and girl power
- NBA today: Injuries pile up, Mavericks are on a skid, Nuggets return to form
- The ‘Barbie’ bonanza continues at the box office, ‘Oppenheimer’ holds the No. 2 spot
- Three killed when small plane hits hangar, catches fire at Southern California airport
- Biden administration proposes new fuel economy standards, with higher bar for trucks
- New Pentagon report on UFOs includes hundreds of new incidents but no evidence of aliens
- Mandy Moore reveals her 2-year-old son has a rare skin condition: 'Kids are resilient'
Ranking
- 'Gladiator 2' review: Yes, we are entertained again by outrageous sequel
- Meta's Threads needs a policy for election disinformation, voting groups say
- JoJo Siwa will 'never' be friends with Candace Cameron Bure after 'traditional marriage' comments
- Max Verstappen wins F1 Belgian Grand Prix, leading Red Bull to record 13 consecutive wins
- Rare Alo Yoga Flash Sale: Don’t Miss 60% Off Deals With Styles as Low as $5
- Maralee Nichols Shares New Photo With Son Theo After Tristan Thompson Pays Tribute to Son Tatum
- Is Barbie a feminist icon? It's complicated
- Back-to-school 2023 sales tax holidays: See which 17 states offer them.
Recommendation
-
Judge sets date for 9/11 defendants to enter pleas, deepening battle over court’s independence
-
Sen. McConnell plans to serve his full term as Republican leader despite questions about his health
-
Stick to your back-to-school budget with $250 off the 2020 Apple MacBook Air at Amazon
-
Chick-fil-A to build new restaurant concepts in Atlanta and New York City
-
PSA: Coach Outlet Has Stocking Stuffers, Gifts Under $100 & More for the Holidays RN (up to 60% Off)
-
Trader Joe's recalls its frozen falafel for possibly having rocks in it
-
After rebranding, X took @x from its original Twitter owner and offered him merch
-
Erratic winds challenge firefighters battling two major California blazes