There were already larger protests on Saturday in Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, and Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia, where, according to police, 20,000 people came together. In Bocholt in North Rhine-Westphalia, officials assumed there were more than 9,000 participants, in Lübeck there were 8,000 people and in Hildesheim in Lower Saxony there were around 7,500.
On Saturday, Holocaust Remembrance Day, thousands of people also took part in demonstrations in numerous smaller cities and more rural areas, mostly organized by non-partisan alliances. According to the police, around 2,000 people gathered in Bitburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, and around 4,000 people in Cuxhaven, Lower Saxony, on Saturday. In Höxter in Lower Saxony there were 300 participants and in Boitzenburg in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania there were 350 participants.
Numerous further demonstrations were planned nationwide for Sunday. According to organizer estimates, 30,000 people were expected to take part in another protest march in Hamburg; according to the police, 50,000 people had already demonstrated there on the Friday of last week. There should also be rallies in Zwickau and Hoyerswerda in Saxony, in Kassel in Hesse, in Trier in Rhineland-Palatinate and many other cities.
At a demonstration in his hometown of Osnabrück in Lower Saxony on Saturday, Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) made an appeal to citizens. “It is now clear to everyone: our freedom is in danger, our way of life is in danger, our democracy is in danger,” said Pistorius.
“The democracy of the Weimar Republic did not perish because of the strength of its enemies, it perished because of the weakness of its supporters,” he continued. “There were too few who stood up, there were too few who fought for democracy.” Democracy requires effort, commitment and passion, warned Pistorius. “Indifference to democracy leaves you at the mercy of the fascists,” warned the Federal Minister.
The reason for the protests are revelations by the research network Correctiv about a secret meeting of AfD politicians, right-wing extremists and entrepreneurs. According to the research, the participants discussed the expulsion of millions of people with an immigrant background. The demos are also generally directed against right-wing populism and extremism.
Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) warned of the consequences of such considerations. “These plans are not only disgusting, but a danger to our country,” Habeck told the news portal t-online. “I also say that as Minister of Economic Affairs. Anyone who even begins to talk about such ideas wants to destroy our economy.” Germany’s economic strength will largely come from people with a history of immigration. “Without them, Germany would be completely lost,” said Habeck.
According to police, around 910,000 people demonstrated nationwide last weekend. According to the website Democratteam, which provides information about demonstration dates, there have been more than 600 protests since January 12th with a total of more than 1.7 million participants.
In total, demonstrations were planned in more than 300 cities and villages from Friday to Sunday, according to the “Together Against the Right” alliance. Many rallies took place on Friday, for example in Frankfurt am Main, Saarbrücken, Gütersloh and Neuruppin.
