“Democracy needs you!” That was the motto of the demonstration against the collaboration with the Radical-Right Alternative Für Deutchland (AfD), where about 250,000 thousand Germans were approached on Saturday. 75,000 demonstrates were registered in advance, but that number was more than exceeded, according to the local police German media.
The demonstration took place simultaneously with the party congress of the Christian Democratic CSU in Nuremberg. A motion for stricter asylum policy from this party, submitted together with Zusterpartij CDU, achieved a narrow majority in the German parliament last week. That was with the support of the radical-right Department. This broke a taboo in German politics: established parties have not been working with radical-right for years. Since then, there has been demonstration in many places in the country against the collaboration.
Earlier, 160,000 demonstrators have already taken to the streets in Berlin, Hamburg and Keulen, among others. According to the organizations involved themselves, it would even be 320,000 participants. The demonstrations seem to grow. Several German organizations – such as football club FC Bayern Munich and the Archdiocese in Munich – supported the demonstrations on Saturday.
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At the CSU party congress, the demonstrations were critically responded to, German media write. Alexander Dobrindt, chairman of the CSU, believed that a large part of the country was behind the strict asylum policy. “People who do not belong here want to compensate for their lack of arguments with loud voice sounds on the street.”
Also in Nuremberg, near the party congress, was demonstrated. Around 25,000 people came to that.
Parliamentary elections will take place in Germany in two weeks. Despite the demonstrations, the Christian Democrats are still in the lead. The AfD is in second place in the polls with around 22 percent of the votes.
