Tens of thousands protest against far right in Germany

Tens of thousands protest against far right in Germany. AFP Published September 12, 2026 Updated September 12, 2026 11: 50pm.

Key points

• Regarding 150, 000 demonstrators took to the streets in around 20 cities nationwide, including Berlin, Hamburg and Munich, in protests that were called by Pruef.
• Campact remarked there were around 25, 000 demonstrators in Hamburg and 12, 000 in Munich.
• The anti-immigration, Russia-friendly party took almost 44 per cent of the vote in last Sunday's election in Saxony-Anhalt, against 17pc for the CDU.
• But hurdles for a formal ban are high in Germany, and Chancellor Friedrich Merz, of the centre-right CDU party, remains sceptical regarding taking such an approach.
• They waved signs emblazoned with slogans that read "Ban the AfD now, " and "Democracy needs no alternatives".

After the party scored a crushing victory in a state election last week, tens of thousands of protesters took part in demonstrations throughout Germany on Saturday against the far-right AfD.

Notably, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) topped the vote in the eastern region of Saxony-Anhalt, and is now seeking to form the first extreme-right state administration in Germany since World War II.

Regarding 150, 000 demonstrators took to the streets in around 20 cities nationwide, including Berlin, Hamburg and Munich, in protests that were called by Pruef. It advocates for a ban on the AfD, organisers stated.

"A broad cross-section of civil society is taking to the streets to prevent the enemies of the constitution, the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt, from gaining government power, " remarked Christoph Bautz, head of campaign group Campact, additionally involved in the demonstrations.

For context, the rise of the AfD has unnerved plenty of who feel Germany has a special responsibility to atone for its Nazi past, and calls have grown for mainstream parties to seek to ban the group.

In Berlin, police remarked a number of thousand protesters took part in a number of demonstrations. The AfD held a counter-demonstration in the capital, attended by Kristin Brinker, its lead candidate in next weekend's regional elections in Berlin.

In practice, the anti-immigration, Russia-friendly party took almost 44 per cent of the vote in last Sunday's election in Saxony-Anhalt, against 17pc for the CDU. It fell three seats short of an absolute majority and has began negotiations with other groups and MPs in a bid to form a state administration.

For now, tens of thousands protest against far right in Germany remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.