Protests break out in Berlin and Frankfurt following AfD victory in Saxony-Anhalt

Demonstrations erupt across German cities

Protesters gathered in multiple German cities on Sunday evening following state election projections in Saxony-Anhalt. In Frankfurt am Main, approximately 2,500 people assembled in the city centre to protest against the Alternative for Germany (AfD) and demand legal action against the party. In Berlin, several hundred participants formed a protest march through the federal government quarter. Carrying banners demanding a ban on the AfD, the demonstrators proceeded directly to the state representation office of Saxony-Anhalt. Berlin police reported that the march remained peaceful throughout the evening, with attendance figures sitting in the lower three-digit range. Parallel gatherings also assembled at the Brandenburg Gate, while separate anti-AfD demonstrations took place concurrently in Mainz.

Demands for a formal party ban procedure

The demonstrations across Frankfurt, Berlin, and Mainz focused primarily on calls for authorities to initiate constitutional ban proceedings against the AfD. Organizers and participants contended that parliamentary debates and traditional campaign strategies have not checked the party's rising vote share. In several federal states, including Saxony-Anhalt, the party carries an official designation from intelligence authorities as a confirmed right-wing extremist group. Trade union leaders in Frankfurt joined civil society groups in arguing that legal mechanisms under the German Basic Law must now be evaluated. Frankfurt German Trade Union Confederation chairman Philipp Jacks detailed the rationale behind the demands for a legal review.

The approach of weakening right-wing extremist forces through political work alone has failed. In several federal states, including Saxony-Anhalt, the AfD is already officially classified as confirmed right-wing extremist.

Election results and party responses

The demonstrations followed immediately after the release of initial projections in the Saxony-Anhalt state election on Sunday evening. The AfD emerged as by far the strongest party in the state parliament, achieving a decisive victory. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) suffered substantial voter losses and finished in second place by a wide margin behind the AfD. Behind the two leading parties, the Left party (Die Linke), the Greens (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen), and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) trailed in subsequent positions. During the parallel gathering in Berlin, SPD lead candidate Steffen Krach brought his campaign bus to the Brandenburg Gate under the banner "Krach against Nazis" and addressed the assembled crowd.

Scheduled demonstrations and campaign tensions

Authorities in Berlin are preparing for larger demonstrations registered for Monday evening in front of the Brandenburg Gate. The registered rally, titled "NoAfD-Protest", is scheduled to commence at 18:00, with police officials projecting an attendance of 5,000 people. Sunday's gatherings follow earlier confrontations surrounding AfD campaign events in the capital earlier in the week. On Wednesday, AfD politicians held a campaign tour through Berlin's Neukölln district alongside visiting lawmakers from the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ). The joint walk along Sonnenallee and Hermannstraße prompted immediate counter-demonstrations from several dozen local residents and activists. Police deployed a 100-officer unit to the neighborhood to physically separate the opposing groups after counter-protesters confronted the delegation with chants.