The protests coincided with AfD’s election campaign launch in Halle, which included a remote address from tech billionaire Elon Musk|@Alice_Weidel|X
Tens of thousands of Germans protested in Berlin and other cities on Saturday against the rise of the far-right, anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Meanwhile, tech billionaire Elon Musk spoke remotely at an AfD rally, urging people to support the party.
The protests, ahead of the February 23 election in the country, included anti-fascist songs and banners denouncing the AfD. Police estimated that 35,000 people attended Berlin and 40,000 were in Cologne.
The demonstrations coincided with AfD’s election campaign launch in Halle, where party leader Alice Weidel addressed 4,500 people. It was there that Musk spoke to the crowd via live video.
Activists highlight that AfD’s rise mirrors other far-right parties across Europe.
The AfD is currently in second place in Germany’s pre-election polls.