A large crowd of protesters gathered in Berlin on Sunday to express their opposition to the Christian Democratic Union (CDU)’s decision to seek support from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in parliament. At least 160,000 people attended the rally, with many chanting slogans such as “Shame on you CDU” and accusing the party of making a pact with the devil.
The CDU’s collaboration with the AfD has sparked widespread outrage in Germany, particularly among those who fear the rise of far-right extremism. The party’s chancellor candidate, Friedrich Merz, had sought to distance himself from the alliance, but many saw his efforts as too little, too late.
Merz had said that there would be no cooperation between the CDU and AfD, but some protesters accused him of hypocrisy after he passed a nonbinding motion on migration with the AfD’s help. This move was seen as a breach of the “firewall” established after World War II to prevent far-right parties from gaining power.
A former CDU member, Michel Friedman, even resigned from the party over its collaboration with the AfD. He warned that the party’s actions could be catastrophic for democracy and urged Germans to remain vigilant in preventing the rise of extremist forces.
Protests took place in numerous cities across Germany, including Aachen, Augsburg, Braunschweig, Bremen, Cologne, Essen, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Karlsruhe, Leipzig, Würzburg, and others. The demonstrations marked a significant show of opposition to the CDU’s decision to work with the AfD, highlighting the deep divisions within German politics.
Source: https://www.dw.com/en/berlin-160000-protest-against-cdu-afd-collaboration/a-71487600