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Germany: Anti-far-right protests held ahead of state polls

August 31, 2024

Voters in Saxony and Thuringia pick their state lawmakers on Sunday, with the far-right AfD expected to do well. Ahead of the election, protesters rallied in Erfurt and other cities against the anti-immigration party.

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Protesters hold up a banner against the far-right during a protest in Erfurt, Thuringia state, Germany, on August 31. 2024
The far-right AfD are on course to secure the most votes in Thuringia's state electionImage: Martin Schutt/dpa/picture alliance

Hundreds of people took part in a demonstration on Saturday against the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which is on course for victory in at least one of two state elections in eastern Germany.

The protest was held in downturn Erfurt, the capital of the state of  Thuringia, where one of the votes for the regional parliament will take place on Sunday. The other is in the state of Saxony.

The Erfurt march was arranged by the "Auf die Plätze" (On Your Marks) alliance. 

Many demonstrators held banners and chanted while marching through Erfurt's city center to the main Cathedral Square.

Foreign policy dominates regional elections in Germany

Protest coincided with AfD rally

The AfD was due to hold a rally in the square later Saturday to mark the end of the election campaign, featuring local firebrand Björn Höcke and party co-chair Alice Weidel.

Höcke is well-known across Germany for his radical views and highly controversial comments, including two convictions for knowingly quoting a Nazi slogan in his speeches.

"We will not allow the AfD to dominate the election weekend with its extreme right-wing agitation, intimidate people and misuse our city as a stage for their propaganda," the anti-far-right protest alliance was cited by DPA news agency as stating.

People hold placards during a protest against Germany's Alternative for Germany (AfD) party ahead of the Thuringia state elections, in Erfurt, Germany, on August 31, 2024
Some protest signs made comparions between an AfD victory and Germany's Nazi eraImage: Wolfgang Rattay/REUTERS

Protests were also held in several other eastern cities, including Dresden, Görlitz and Zwickau. 

AfD set to be biggest in Thuringia

The AfD is on course to secure around 30% of the vote in Sunday's election in Thuringia, followed — with a significant gap — by the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the new left-wing populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance BSW and the socialist Left Party.

In Saxony, polls put the AfD behind the CDU, but within the margin of error, and the BSW in third place.

Both elections are expected to deal a blow to Chancellor Olaf Scholz's three-party coalition of Social Democrats, Greens and Free Democrats, amid deep voter dissatisfaction over immigration and economic weakness in eastern Germany compared to western regions.

The mainstream parties have refused to work with the AfD, meaning that even if the far-right party secures victory on Sunday, it would likely be unable to form a coalition in either state.

German parties vow not to form coalition with far-right AfD: DW’s Giulia Saudelli

State domestic intelligence agencies have categorized the AfD in Thuringia and Saxony as a right-wing extremist organizations.

mm/lo (DPA, DW sources)