Thousands expected at new protests against far right in Germany

Following news that party members had discussed mass deportation plans at an extreme gathering, tens of thousands of protestors were expected to gather on Sunday to continue their demonstration against the far-right AfD.

According to ARD, a national channel, there were already some 250,000 marchers in various locations throughout the nation on Saturday. The demonstrators were holding placards that said “Nazis out”.

From Friday through the weekend, protests were called in about 100 places throughout Germany, including Munich and Berlin on Sunday.

According to ARD, 25,000 people were anticipated for the anti-far right event in Munich and 10,000 more for the Cologne protest.

In addition, demonstrations are scheduled to take place in front of the German parliament in Berlin as well as other eastern cities that are home to the AfD.

An investigative investigation published on January 10 by Correctiv, a news site, showed that AfD members had discussed the deportation of immigrants and “non-assimilated citizens” at a meeting with extremists. This revelation set up a surge of agitation against the far-right party.

Martin Sellner, the head of Austria’s Identitarian Movement, which believes in the “great replacement” conspiracy theory—which holds that non-white immigrants are planning to supplant Europe’s “native” white population—was one of the attendees at the discussions.

‘Take a stand’

News of the gathering sent shockwaves across Germany at a time when the AfD is soaring in opinion polls, just months ahead of three major regional elections in eastern Germany where their support is strongest.

The anti-immigration party confirmed the presence of its members at the meeting, but has denied taking on the “remigration” project championed by Sellner.

But leading politicians including Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who joined a demonstration last weekend, said any plan to expel immigrants or citizens alike amounted to “an attack against our democracy, and in turn, on all of us”.

He urged “all to take a stand — for cohesion, for tolerance, for our democratic Germany”.

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser went so far as to say in the newspapers of the Funke press group that the far-right meeting was reminiscent of “the horrible Wannsee conference”, where the Nazis planned the extermination of European Jews in 1942.

Not only politicians, but church leaders and Bundesliga football managers have called on people to make a stand against the far right.

Protesters first gathered last weekend in Berlin and Potsdam, where the extremist meeting was held, and have gathered pace since.

On Saturday, around 35,000 people gathered in the centre of Frankfurt, responding to the call to “defend democracy” against the AfD.

“Demonstrating against racism is a must,” protester Maria told AFP in Frankfurt.

“Germany has developed in such a way that racism occurs everywhere in Germany,” she said.