Thousands of Germans took to the streets across the country on Saturday to protest against the conservative party’s move to pass legislation with help from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).
The protests, which were initially expected to be small, turned violent in some cities. In Frankfurt, police officers were attacked by protesters, while in Neu-Isenburg, around 9,000 demonstrators showed up, resulting in one injured demonstrator and a police officer.
Demonstrators carried signs with slogans condemning the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader and chancellor candidate Fredrich Merz’s efforts to pass the legislation. Some also referenced Angela Merkel’s opposition to pushing forward with the AfD.
Organizers in Baden-Württemberg had expected 500 people, but 5,000 showed up in Karlsruhe instead. The demonstration was initially peaceful, but protesters in Mannheim took to the streets under the slogan “We are the firewall,” referencing Merz’s promise not to break the proposed ‘firewall’ by cooperating with the AfD.
The protests came as a non-binding motion demanding a tighter migration policy failed on Friday. The conservative party and its Bavarian sister party, along with support from the AfD, had pushed through the motion in the German parliament.
Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/thousands-demonstrate-germany-against-working-010034782.html