Tens of thousands protest in Berlin as far right’s influence grows

Tens of thousands of people demonstrated against the growing influence of Germany’s far right at a rally in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on Saturday evening.

The protesters used lamps and their mobile phones to form what organizers described as a “sea of lights” directed against the Alternative for Germany (AfD).

The police in the German capital put turnout at around 30,000.

The rally was held a month before Germans go to the polls in a general election in which the anti-immigration and eurosceptic AfD is expected to achieve a strong result.

Christoph Bautz, founder of the political pressure group Campact and one of the initiators of the demonstration in Berlin, demanded that the mainstream parties preserve their long-standing “firewall” against working with the AfD.

He made a direct appeal to conservative opposition leader Friedrich Merz, who is considered the front-runner in the February 23 election and has vowed a migration crackdown should he become chancellor.

Bautz said that if Merz makes common cause with the AfD to push tougher migration measures through the parliament, then “an uprising of decent people will break out in this country.”

Merz has repeatedly said his CDU/CSU bloc will not form a government with the AfD. But he ignited a furore this week he when suggested he was willing to accept party’s support in parliament in order to get his policies approved.

The demonstrators rallying in front of the Brandenburg Gate chanted: “We are the firewall.”

Many families with children were present. Several posters were directed against the Alternative for Germany, such as the slogan: “There is no alternative to the AfD being stupid.”