Extremism: Around half a million demonstrators against the right

According to preliminary data, around half a million people demonstrated against the right across Germany last weekend. The Federal Ministry of the Interior spoke of 480,300 people at 133 events in Berlin. Due to the lack of figures from Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Saarland, this is a provisional figure, explained a ministry spokesman.

In Berlin alone, according to police reports, more than 150,000 people gathered at the Reichstag building on Saturday to demonstrate for democracy and tolerance. The organizer even spoke of 300,000 participants. When providing information, the Federal Ministry of the Interior regularly refers to police estimates.

The nationwide wave of protests against the right has been going on for more than three weeks now. The trigger was research by the media company Correctiv into a meeting between radical right-wingers and individual politicians from the AfD, CDU and Values ​​Union in Potsdam in November. There, the former head of the right-wing extremist Identitarian Movement in Austria, Martin Sellner, said he spoke about the concept of so-called remigration. When right-wing extremists use the term, they usually mean that large numbers of people of foreign origin should leave the country – even under duress.

18,000 people demonstrate in Frankfurt

The demonstration rations continued on Monday. According to a police spokesman, around 18,000 people in Frankfurt followed the call of a broad social alliance under the motto “Frankfurt stands up for democracy”. The organizers themselves even spoke of a total of 25,000 people.

Over 130 organizations joined the call – including companies, trade unions, religious communities, clubs, associations, educational institutions, initiatives and Frankfurt parties.

Scholz praises demonstrations against right-wing extremism

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) thanked the participants in the rallies against right-wing extremism and for democracy that have been going on for weeks. “If something can never have a place in our country again, then it is a nationalistic, racist ideology; that is why it is good that so many people are taking part in the rallies,” said the Chancellor after a meeting with people with foreign roots and representatives of migrant associations .

Almost every fourth person in Germany has an immigration background. “Germany is our common home,” emphasized Scholz. However, many people were now worried. Because they felt they were being targeted when right-wing extremists spread their inhumane ideas about resettlement.

The federal government’s integration commissioner, Reem Alabali-Radovan (SPD), said that the traffic light government had put the fight against right-wing extremism at the top of the agenda. Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) banned clubs and tightened laws. It is now important that the planned Democracy Promotion Act is passed quickly in the Bundestag. It provides long-term government funding for clubs and organizations that work to protect democracy. That would be a strong signal to the participants in the rallies, said the State Minister.