Tens of thousands protest in Germany against the rise of the far right
Mass protests across Germany, drawing close to or over a million people nationwide, have emerged in response to the electoral rise of the far‑right AfD and reports of extremist “remigration” plans targeting people with migration backgrounds. Commenters debate how significant these demonstrations are compared to right‑wing mobilization, and whether street protests can counter deeper drivers such as economic insecurity, immigration tensions, and distrust of mainstream parties. The exchanges highlight a broader European and global trend: centrist parties losing ground while populist movements gain from frustrations over migration policy, living costs, and perceived democratic deficits.
Scale and nature of the protests
- Nationwide protests against the far right drew very large crowds: organizers and police estimates range from ~900k to ~1.4M across Germany, with some citing 1.5M+.
- Individual cities reported record turnouts (e.g., 80k in Cologne, ~100–320k in Munich, huge crowds in Hamburg), sometimes forcing events to be cut short for safety.
- Several commenters stress this is unusually large for Germany, especially given organization happened within about a week.
Right‑wing protests and counter‑mobilization
- Past right‑wing street movements (PEGIDA, Covid protests, farmer protests) are noted as much smaller and often met by larger counter‑protests.
- One view: meaningful right‑wing mass rallies “don’t really happen” in modern Germany; another notes Dresden’s PEGIDA once drew ~25k.
AfD’s rise and democratic dilemmas
- AfD polling around 20–25% and likely to lead in some eastern states alarms many; some immigrants and Germans discuss exit plans.
- Debate over whether protests are “for democracy” or an attempt to delegitimize or even ban a legal opposition party.
- Some argue excluding AfD from all coalitions and contemplating bans is itself anti‑democratic; others see this as necessary defense against an extremist threat.
Immigration, refugees, and public mood
- Many commenters frame immigration/refugees as the core driver of AfD support, intertwined with inflation, housing, and perceived decline in services.
- Split between those emphasizing uncontrolled or poorly managed migration and those stressing Europe’s responsibility for conflicts that generate refugees.
- Some highlight large future migration pressures (climate, instability), others say the “migrant wave” narrative overstates numbers and impact.
“Secret plan,” media, and propaganda claims
- A leaked meeting about “remigration” is seen by many as a key catalyst for protests, likened by some to historical Nazi planning.
- Others insist the meeting wasn’t secret, deny that deportation of citizens was discussed, and accuse government‑aligned media of timing and inflating the story to overshadow farmer/middle‑class protests.
Broader trends and polarization
- Several see Germany as part of a wider European and global shift toward populism and nationalism amid economic strain and distrust of institutions.
- Strong disagreement over “woke” politics: some see it as necessary anti‑racism; others as overreaching, hypocritical, and fueling backlash.
- Meta‑comments note HN’s own political polarization and frustration from centrists who feel unrepresented by both left and right.