02/03/2025: Large-scale demonstrations took place in Berlin and several other German cities over the weekend, protesting potential cooperation with the far-right AfD party.
Berlin Protest: Approximately 160,000 people (according to police estimates) participated in a demonstration in Berlin to uphold the "Brandmauer" (firewall) against the AfD. Organizers claimed up to 250,000 participants, far exceeding the expected 20,000.
Demonstration Route: The protest in Berlin began at the Reichstag building, proceeded along Strasse des 17. Juni, and ended at the Konrad-Adenauer-Haus (CDU headquarters).
CDU Headquarters: Protesters gathered at the CDU headquarters, using phone lights and voicing disapproval of CDU leader Friedrich Merz, chanting "We are the firewall" and "Shame on Merz."
Michel Friedman's Criticism: Michel Friedman, who recently left the CDU in protest, spoke at the event, calling the AfD a "party of hate" and criticizing the CDU/CSU's joint vote with the AfD on stricter migration policies as an "inexcusable mistake."
Heinrich Bedford-Strohm's Statement: Former EKD Council Chairman Heinrich Bedford-Strohm declared that there should never again be a vote like the one between the Union and the AfD, especially shortly after commemorating the victims of National Socialism.
Organizers: The demonstration, themed "Uprising of the Decent - We are the Firewall," was organized by Campact, DGB Berlin-Brandenburg, and Fridays for Future.
Police Presence: 500 police officers were deployed to monitor the Berlin demonstration.
Potsdam Demonstration: Hundreds of people also demonstrated in Potsdam for democracy, cosmopolitanism, and diversity, with estimates of around 2,500 participants.
Other Locations: Further demonstrations occurred in Angermünde, Fürstenwalde, Bernau, Brandenburg an der Havel, and Cottbus.
Context: The protests were triggered by the Union's stance on migration policy and their recent vote with the AfD in the Bundestag, along with concerns about the general rise of right-wing extremism and populism.
AfD Classification: The AfD is classified as a suspected right-wing extremist organization by Germany's domestic intelligence services, both nationwide and in Brandenburg. In Thuringia, Saxony, and Saxony-Anhalt, the party is classified as a confirmed right-wing extremist organization.