Thousands Protest Against German Far Right in Berlin

Demonstrators took to the streets after the AfD won a record 43.8% in elections in the state of Saxony-Anhalt.

On Monday, thousands of people demonstrated in Berlin against Germany’s far right after the Alternative for Germany (AfD) swept Sunday’s elections in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, where the party has an opportunity to govern for the first time.

RELATED:

AfD’s Victory in Saxony-Anhalt Reflects Social Tensions in Germany

Near the Brandenburg Gate, demonstrators chanted slogans such as “Everyone Together Against Fascism” and “Anti-Fascist Alert.” The rally was supported by calls to protest from platforms such as Campact and the environmental movement Fridays for Future.

“The things we have been warning about for months, the things they laughed at us for and told us we were dramatizing, have now come true,” activist Max Schneller said regarding the victory of the German far right.

A result like this “does not fall from the sky,” he added, demanding that the parties that have governed Saxony-Anhalt for decades — the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) — not limit themselves to expressing dismay, but instead draw conclusions and “listen.”

“Take responsibility, damn it!” Schneller exclaimed, referring to the social conditions created by the traditional parties’ policies in the eastern German region, which has the lowest per capita income in Germany.

Clashes broke out during an anti-AfD protest in Germany after tensions escalated between demonstrators and police. Officers used batons during the intervention, and several protesters were arrested.#Germany #AfD #Police pic.twitter.com/vGQnenp11T

— The Workers Rights (@theworkersright) September 7, 2026

On Sunday, Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s CDU party collapsed by 20 percentage points in the regional elections, to 17.2%, marking what he described as the worst defeat “in decades.”

The AfD swept the election with 43.8% — its best result to date, although short of an absolute majority — while the SPD received 9.3%, followed by the Greens with 8.9%, the Left with 8.6% and the left-wing Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) with 5.3%.

On Monday, far-right politician Ulrich Siegmund said he would not try to govern as a minority government but would seek to attract defectors from other parties. In view of the “firewall” maintained against the AfD, this could make it much more difficult to form a government.

So far, only BSW has declared itself willing to abstain in a hypothetical third round to allow Siegmund to be invested with a simple majority.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

---

From teleSUR English via This RSS Feed.