Thousands Protest Against 'Alternative for Germany' Party Amid Calls to Ban It

Several thousand protesters gathered at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on Monday evening to demonstrate against the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, following its overwhelming win in the Saxony-Anhalt state elections.

In Berlin, police estimated the crowd at around 5,000 demonstrators, noting the protest passed peacefully without incidents, while organizers reported approximately 14,000 participants.

The demonstration was called urgently by the organization "Campaign" and the climate-focused movement "Fridays for Future".

German climate activist Luise Neubauer, along with the top candidates from the Greens and Left parties in Berlin’s upcoming September 20 state election, took part in the protest.

Protesters held signs bearing slogans such as "Fascism is not an alternative" and "Stop AfD Nazis! End racism and social cuts," while crowds chanted: "We are all against fascism!"

The party won Sunday’s election by a wide margin but failed to secure an absolute majority, leaving open the possibility of forming Germany’s first far-right state government led by the AfD.

Germany’s domestic intelligence agency has classified the local branch of the Alternative for Germany party as "definitely right-wing extremist".

Protests were also called for in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where a new state parliament will be elected later this month, and the AfD leads opinion polls.

In Schwerin, several hundred protesters gathered, according to police reports, while over 500 people assembled in Rostock for a group sing-along.

In Essen, about 1,200 people gathered, according to police. Participants carried rainbow flags and cardboard signs with messages like "Ban the Alternative for Germany now" and "No place for Nazis," marching through the city center, according to Deutsche Presse-Agentur.

Hundreds also protested in Potsdam against the AfD, as well as in Hesse. Around 80 people demonstrated in Kassel.

Police said nearly 2,500 people protested in Frankfurt on Sunday, demanding a reconsideration of whether to ban the Alternative for Germany party.