Thousands protest against German far-right after AfD 'remigration' meeting

In their thousands and thousands, Germans have taken to the streets across the country to say a resounding 'no' to the far-right. Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Hannover, Kassel, Nuremberg and many more cities saw large demonstrations against right-wing extremism and far-right opposition party Alternative for Germany (AfD).

The protests came with the blessing of the current government, which has been dogged by demonstrations against its economic plans in recent weeks. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told the nation in an address from the Kanzeleramt that he also attended the protests.

Scholz explained: "I too joined a large protest at home in Potsdam because what we are seeing in our country right now concerns us all, each and every one of us. I will say it very clearly and bluntly: right-wing extremists are attacking our democracy. They want to destroy our cohesion."

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‌The protests and backlash against the AfD were sparked by the news that members of the party had taken part in a meeting at a hotel in Potsdam in November to discuss the future of Germany, where the topic of mass deportations was discussed. 

There were also members of the largest German opposition party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), at the conference but what has caused outrage is the attendance of members of far-right extremist groups, and the discussion of "remigration" as an option for Germany in the future.

Remigration is a word used in far right-wing circles to essentially mean the forced expulsion of migrants and even German citizens from a minority background.

AfD confirmed its members were at the meeting and also stated that plans for remigration were part of its last election manifesto. It refuted claims that AfD members had anything to do ith suggestions of this involving naturalized German citizens and said these ideas came from Martin Kellner, an Austrian right-wing figure who is not an AfD member.

A rally against the AfD in Hamburg on Friday had to end early as far more people turned up than expected. Plans had been put in place for 50,000 attendees, but when crowds estimated to be close to 80,000 arrived  the event was cut short. 

"They want deportation. They want to turn back the clock, back to a time of hatred and violence," Mayor of Hamburg and Regional State Premier Peter Tschentcher told the crowds. "The term 'remigration' is not a taboo word. It is a right-wing extremist provocation. That is why we will say today, loud and clear: never again."

There are calls to ban the AfD from German politics. Some 25 members of the Bundestag from Chancellor Scholz's Social Democrats (SPD) have called for the legality of a ban to be examined. The German constitution says that parties that seek to undermine or abolish the "free democratic basic order" should be deemed unconstitutional.

However, there is huge scepticism over whether this could actually go ahead. If such an attempt was made against the AfD and it did not pass the required tests needed by Germany's highest judicial body, Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck from the Green Party warned that it would do "massive damage."

AfD has been soaring in the polls in recent months. Its opposition to the current government's economic and foreign policy has struck a chord with many. Nationally, AfD is currently polling at 22 percent. That's considerably higher than any of the ruling coalition parties, which include the SPD on 12 percent, Greens on 12 percent, and Free Democrats (FDP) on 5 percent.

There are three crucial state elections in Brandenburg, Thuringia and Saxony later this year. The AfD is polling well in each of them, and an attempt to ban the party could backfire massively. 

The AfD is already under classification as "right-wing extremist" by state intelligence services in three Eastern states, and is under review for the same classification in a further five.

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