Massive protests in Berlin against CDU/CSU’s collaboration with AfD

In Berlin, tens of thousands protested against the collaboration between CDU/CSU and the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD). Police estimated the crowd at around 160,000, while organizers claimed 250,000 participants.

The protests were sparked by a Bundestag vote, where a CDU/CSU motion for stricter asylum plans passed with AfD support, causing a shock in Germany. Other parties had previously excluded collaboration with AfD, which several intelligence agencies label as far-right and potentially dangerous to democracy.

CDU/CSU leader Merz faced harsh criticism, notably from former Chancellor Angela Merkel and publicist Michel Friedman, who left the CDU. Friedman called AfD “the party of hate” without naming it directly.

He criticized CDU’s decision as “unforgivable” but defended it as a democratic party. Demonstrators gathered at Brandenburg Gate, near the Bundestag, marching to CDU’s headquarters.

Slogans included “No Merz in February” and “CDU, give us the C back.” Protests occurred in cities like Kiel, Potsdam, and Cologne, where hundreds of demonstrators took to the Rhine in canoes, displaying rainbow flags and banners reading “No racism” and “For democracy and diversity.” In Hamburg, police reported 65,000 protesters, while organizers claimed 80,000. Protests also took place in Cologne, Leipzig, and Essen.

Source: NOS

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