Tens of thousands march across Germany to protest far-right party AfD

Large crowds gathered in about 20 German cities on Saturday to call for the banning of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) following the party's decisive state election result. Organisers led by the campaign group Pruef said roughly 150,000 people took part in rallies that included major gatherings in Berlin, Hamburg and Munich; protesters carried signs demanding the party be banned and asserting that democracy needs no alternatives. Campact, another group involved, reported turnouts of around 25,000 in Hamburg and 12,000 in Munich, while police described separate demonstrations in Berlin that drew several thousand people. The demonstrations came in the wake of the AfD's strong showing in Saxony-Anhalt on September 6, where the party received nearly 44% of the vote, well ahead of the Christian Democratic Union's roughly 17% under Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The AfD fell short of an outright majority and is projected to take 39 of 83 seats in the state parliament, leaving it three seats shy of a majority and in need of a coalition partner. If it succeeds in forming a government, it would be the first far-right party to lead a German state government since the end of the Nazi era in 1945. The AfD, which is known for its strict anti-immigration positions and a relatively friendly stance toward Russia, held its own counter-rally in Berlin attended by Kristin Brinker, the party's lead candidate for the upcoming regional election. State leader Ulrich Siegmund described the election result as historic and has indicated a willingness to negotiate with other parties after earlier suggesting he wanted his party to govern alone. The party's rise has prompted deep unease among many Germans, given the country's postwar commitment to prevent a repeat of extremist rule. Calls for banning the AfD have increased, but experts note such a move would face legal hurdles, and Chancellor Merz has so far been reluctant to pursue a ban. Mainstream parties continue to maintain a longstanding policy of refusing to form coalitions with the AfD, a political firewall that has so far kept the party out of government at state and national levels.