In Germany this weekend, people are taking to the streets en masse to speak out against the far right. More than two hundred demonstrations are being held across the country, the German broadcaster reports ARD. According to various German media, tens of thousands of people took part in a protest march in Düsseldorf on Saturday. There are also demonstrations in Berlin, Aachen and Hamburg. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius speaks out against the extreme right in Osnabrück and other politicians are also expected to join the demonstrators.
Saturday’s demonstrations coincide with International Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Holocaust. Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed his concerns in a video about the rise of far-right parties. More than 900,000 people took action last weekend against the far right and the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
The wave of protests came about after reports of plans by AfD officials. Various media are said to have spoken to right-wing extremists about the mass deportation of asylum seekers, illegal migrants and “non-assimilated” Germans. Elections will be held in September in the eastern German states of Brandenburg, Saxony and Thuringia. According to polls, the AfD could become the largest party.
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