Approximately 150,000 Germans protested against the AfD following the far right’s electoral victory in Saxony-Anhalt

Approximately 150,000 people protested on Saturday in around 20 cities across Germany against the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, following the party’s recent electoral victory in the state of Saxony-Anhalt.

The demonstrations took place in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and other cities, at the initiative of the national “Prüf” campaign, which supports banning the AfD. Protesters displayed messages such as “Ban the AfD now” and “Democracy does not need alternatives.”

The AfD, an anti-immigration and pro-Russian party, won nearly 44% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt last week, one of its strongholds in the former East Germany. The party is trying to form Germany’s first far-right regional government since the end of World War II.

In Berlin, where several protests took place, including an AfD counter-demonstration, police reported that thousands of people attended. According to Campact, approximately 25,000 people protested in Hamburg and 12,000 in Munich.

The AfD’s rise has intensified calls for the party to be banned, but traditional parties and German society remain divided over whether such proceedings would be appropriate. Protesters say that mobilization is necessary to defend democracy and prevent the far right from coming to power.