Large demonstrations in Germany against the extreme right »

Baghdad-INA
About 250,000 people demonstrated throughout Germany against the far-right Alternative for Germany party, some of whose members recently discussed the mass expulsion of people of foreign origin.

The largest marches took place in Frankfurt, the country’s financial capital, where 35,000 participants gathered, according to local police, behind a banner reading “Defending Democracy – Frankfurt against the Alternative for Germany party.”
A similar number gathered in Hanover (north), and some participants raised banners that read, “Nazis out.”
About 30,000 people also demonstrated in the streets of Dortmund (west), and 16,000 in Halle, according to police.
Demonstrations were also held in Erfurt, Aachen, Kassel and a number of other small cities.
In total, about 250,000 people demonstrated to denounce the German far right in the country, according to public broadcaster ARD.
Other marches are scheduled to be held on Sunday, especially in Berlin and Dresden in the state of Saxony, the stronghold of the anti-immigrant and anti-regime Alternative for Germany party.
Politicians, religious representatives and coaches from the German Football League have called on the population to mobilize against this party, which is currently leading in opinion polls.
The mobilization broke out after the German investigative website Correctiv revealed on January 10 a meeting held by extremists in Potsdam, near Berlin, where a plan for the mass expulsion of foreigners or people of foreign origin was discussed in November.
Schulz called on “everyone to take a stand for cohesion and tolerance and for democratic Germany.”
Friedrich Merz, leader of the conservative Christian Democratic Union, said: “It is very encouraging that thousands are demonstrating peacefully against extremism.”