Thousands protest far right in Germany

BERLIN:

Tens of thousands of protesters took part in demonstrations across Germany on Saturday against the far-right AfD, after the party scored a crushing victory in a state election last week.

The Alternative for Germany (AfD) topped the vote in the eastern region of Saxony-Anhalt, and is now seeking to form the first extreme-right state government in Germany since World War II.

About 150,000 demonstrators took to the streets in around 20 cities nationwide, including Berlin, Hamburg and Munich, in protests that were called by Pruef, which advocates for a ban on the AfD, organisers said.

They waved signs emblazoned with slogans that read "Ban the AfD now," and "Democracy needs no alternatives".

"A broad cross-section of civil society is taking to the streets to prevent the enemies of the constitution, the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt, from gaining government power," said Christoph Bautz, head of campaign group Campact, also involved in the demonstrations.