Public opposition to the rise of the far-right, that has been spreading in Germany, reached new heights over the past weekend with by some accounts, 1.4 million people participating in demonstrations against the Alternative for Germany Party (AfD ) which has been gaining support in recent ballots, even seen as potentially being the second largest political party, in polls.
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The active opposition came after conversations within the party, that had become public, revealed plans for mass deportation of migrants, some of them holding German citizenship. Germany's Interior Minister went so far as to dub the exposed meeting as a new Wannsee conference, referencing the Nazi era meeting where the "Final Solution," to exterminate all of Europe's Jews, was decided.
Since the AfD entered the political arena a decade ago, Germany had experienced several waves of anti righ-wing protests but one such as has been taking place in recent days, is unprecedented. Protest in Berlin, Munich, Stuttgart, Hanover and some 100 other cities surpassed expectations and in Munich, where 100,000 showed up, organizers cut the event short fearing overcrowding may cause injury.
The report earlier this month, of the meeting held in November, that included members of the party and Martin Sellner, the leader of the extreme right Identitarian Movement in Austria, a proponent of the "Replacement Theory," that claims non-whites plan to replace Europeans, outlined a plan to deport citizens "who had not assimilated into German society."
Since the news broke, the AfD has been trying to distance itself from the meeting and has said it has no economic, organizational or other connection with participants nor is it responsible for what was discussed there. Members of the party that were in attendance, were there on their own volition and do not represent the AfD, the party said.
Politicians, heads of church, entertainers and sports stars were among those calling for the public protests of the far-right party which has some 23% support among voters, up from 10.3% in the 2021 elections and had made substantial gains in recent local ballots including in Bavaria and Hessen.
Thomas Tuchel head coach of Bundesliga club Bayern Munich said in a press conference on Saturday that there can never be too many voices coming out against any type of extremism.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz who himself participated in one of the protests said any plan to expel immigrants or citizens is "an attack on our democracy and on all of us." He called on the public to speak out, "For unity, tolerance, and the German democracy." German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the protesters were defending the republic and its constitution against its enemies. "The future of our democracy does not depend on those opposed to it but on the strength of those who defend it," he said.
Josef Schuster, President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany said in an interview that the current public protest can rebuild trust in German democracy. He said Jews now felt a considerable uncertainty in Germany after antisemitism increased since the war in Gaza began.
The the Friday protest in Hamburg, Germany's second largest city, Mayor Peter Tschentscher said the message to the Afd must be that "we are the majority, we are strong and united and we are determined not to permit our democracy to be destroyed a second time after 1945, when the Nazis were defeated."