Protests against the AfD's victory in Germany's regional elections: “Defend democracy! – Ban AfD now!”

Thousands of people protested on Sunday evening in Berlin, Frankfurt, and Mainz against the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD), after the party won the regional elections in Saxony-Anhalt. Demonstrators called for measures to ban the party and defend democracy.

In Frankfurt, approximately 2,500 people took to the streets, according to authorities and press reports. In Berlin, hundreds of people took part in a march that ended near the official building of the Saxony-Anhalt parliament. Protests with the same objective were also reported in Mainz.

In the German capital, participants chanted “Defend democracy! Ban the AfD now!” Police announced that a larger rally was due to take place on Monday evening at the Brandenburg Gate, where approximately 5,000 people were expected, starting at 18:00 local time.

According to the preliminary results, the AfD won 43.8% of the vote, while the CDU, the party of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, was credited with 17.2%. The far-right party thus more than doubled its score from 2021, when it had won 20.8%. The result represents the AfD’s best performance in a regional or federal election.