Nationwide Protests in Germany Against the Right-Wing Party 'Alternative for Germany' Enter Fourth Week

Tens of thousands of people across Germany took to the streets on Saturday, February 3, in protest against the 'Alternative for Germany' party, which is considered far-right. According to Reuters, the protests, with around 150,000 participants, were mostly concentrated in Berlin, the capital, where they chanted 'We are the firewall.' German Chancellor Olaf Scholz wrote on social media platform X: 'Whether in Aiznach, Hamburg, or Berlin, in small and large cities across the country, many citizens are gathering to protest against forgetting, against hate, and hate-mongering.' Scholz added that these protests are 'a strong sign in favor of our democracy and constitution.' The successes of the 'Alternative for Germany' party have raised concerns among mainstream parties in this European country that the party might achieve victories in three state elections in eastern Germany in September. Jakob Springfield from the NGO 'Sachsen Solidarity Network' expressed shock that it took so long for widespread protests against the far-right to emerge, as this party has been successful in many smaller communities. He stated, 'But now a movement has started, and the fact that such a movement has begun is promising.' While voters cite protests against this party as the most important issue in the elections, a recent poll shows support for the 'Alternative for Germany' has fallen below 20% for the first time since July last year. According to this poll, the 'Alternative for Germany' remains in second place after the conservative opposition with 32%, while the center-left Social Democrats led by Olaf Scholz are in third place with 15%. The protests began following a report released last month indicating that two senior members of the 'Alternative for Germany' participated in a meeting to discuss plans for the mass expulsion of foreign citizens. The party claims such a proposal does not reflect its policy. Tino Chrupalla, a leader of the 'Alternative for Germany,' told a local television station that while 'coming to the streets is legitimate,' protesters should not allow themselves to be distracted from the real problems of the country by parties. He stated that Germany is a country of Germans with a history of immigration and that his party does not intend to expel them.