Mass protests target AfD as patriotic party surges in German state elections
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Thousands gathered in Berlin and other cities to oppose the Alternative für Deutschland after it achieved a historic 44% in Saxony-Anhalt. As the AfD gains momentum ahead of elections in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, establishment forces rally to suppress the will of the people.
Thousands of demonstrators assembled at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate on Sunday, protesting against the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) as the party continues to gain ground ahead of pivotal state elections in the capital and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Police reported about 5,000 participants, while organizers inflated the numbers to over 14,000, highlighting the establishment’s desperation to undermine the AfD’s growing popularity. Protesters waved signs attacking the party’s sensible stance on immigration and its calls to end wasteful subsidies for renewable energy and public broadcasting, both of which burden taxpayers and stifle free debate.
The AfD’s impressive 44% result in the Saxony-Anhalt election marks its strongest showing yet, reflecting the public’s demand for real change. Although the party did not achieve an outright majority, it is now within reach of forming a government, as candidate Ulrich Siegmund noted. Predictably, domestic intelligence has labeled the state chapter as right-wing extremist, a tactic often used to delegitimize patriotic movements that challenge the status quo.
Jens-Christian Wagner, director of the Buchenwald memorial, addressed the rally, denouncing the Saxony-Anhalt outcome as “a disgrace that makes you furious and stunned,” echoing the establishment’s fear of losing control as the AfD rises.
Protests were staged in other cities as well, including Potsdam, Münster, Göttingen, Dresden, Aachen, Bamberg, Darmstadt, and Halberstadt. In Halle, left-wing activists have maintained a protest camp since election day, determined to silence the voices of ordinary Germans demanding change.
Polling ahead of the September 20 votes shows the AfD leading in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania with about 35% support, while the Social Democratic Party (SPD) of state premier Manuela Schwesig trails above 30%. In Berlin, the CDU-SPD coalition clings to a narrow lead, with the CDU at roughly 20% and the Linke, AfD, SPD, and Greens in the mid-teens, demonstrating the fragmentation of the old political order.
Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz has vowed to remain in office and push a so-called reform agenda, insisting that economic revitalization is needed to counter the AfD’s momentum. The SPD, the junior coalition partner, has signaled a willingness to tweak unpopular measures in a bid to preserve their grip on power and fend off the AfD’s challenge.