Thousands of people took to the streets in Germany on Saturday to protest the conservative party’s move to get legislation passed in the German parliament with help from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).
Thousands demonstrated in Cologne, the police there said, with many holding signs with slogans condemning Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader and chancellor candidate Fredrich Merz, who was behind the heavily criticized bill.
“No Merz in March,” said one poster – a reference to the Bundestag or parliamentary elections on February 23, which the poster writer hopes will result in a Merz defeat.
Merz is from the Sauerland region in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous state which includes the cities of Cologne, Bonn, Essen and Dusseldorf.
Another participant carried a sign with the inscription: “Fritz listen to Mutti!” – a reference to the German nickname for Friedrich and to former CDU chancellor Angela Merkel, sometimes known as “Mutti” or mommy, during her time in office, who spoke out against pushing legislation through with the AfD.
In Essen, some 3,000 people marched through the city in a demonstration against the far right – many more than initially anticipated, the police said. There were also demonstrations in Aachen.
On Wednesday, the CDU and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union, with help from the AfD, pushed through a non-binding motion demanding a tighter migration policy in the Bundestag. However, a bill to limit migration failed on Friday.
Demonstrators hold a banner that reads “There is no solidarity from the right” in German, during a demonstration in Leipzig’s Wilhelm-Leuschner-Platz against a tougher migration policy in Germany. Demonstrators took to the streets across Germany against efforts by the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) to push through reforms to migration laws in parliament with the support of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). Sebastian Willnow/dpa
People take part in a demonstration against a tougher migration policy in Germany. Demonstrators took to the streets across Germany against efforts by the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) to push through reforms to migration laws in parliament with the support of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). Christoph Schmidt/dpa
People take part in a demonstration against a tougher migration policy in Germany. Demonstrators took to the streets across Germany against efforts by the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) to push through reforms to migration laws in parliament with the support of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). Christoph Schmidt/dpa
People take part in a demonstration against a tougher migration policy in Germany. Demonstrators took to the streets across Germany against efforts by the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) to push through reforms to migration laws in parliament with the support of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). Christoph Schmidt/dpa
