nearly 150,000 people gathered against the far right in Berlin

Up to 100,000 people are expected in the capital on Saturday, according to police.

A new mobilization against the extreme right across the Rhine. Nearly 150,000 demonstrators gathered in the center of Berlin (Germany) on Saturday February 3 to oppose racism and far-right movements, according to police. More than 200 peaceful rallies were also planned across the country.

The square near the Reichstag, in the heart of Berlin’s power district, was packed with people in the middle of the day and continued to fill up. “All together against fascism!”, chanted the crowd during this demonstration organized by the Hand in Hand movement. This brings together more than 1,500 organizations, including the Friday for Future organization and the citizens’ alliance Campact. “We are 300,000 people in Berlin and tens of thousands in the streets all over Germany and livestreaming. You are crazy!”declared the organizers on X.

Up to 100,000 people were expected, according to police cited by RBB radio. The capital’s law enforcement agencies announced that they had deployed 700 police officers on site.

“A strong sign for democracy”

“Whether in Eisenach, Homburg or Berlin: in towns and cities across the country, many citizens are coming together to demonstrate against forgetting, against hatred and incitement to hatred this weekend too. A strong sign for democracy and our Constitution”said Chancellor Olaf Scholz on the social network

These demonstrations demonstrate the shock caused by the revelation of a meeting of extremists in Potsdam (Germany). During this discussion, a plan for mass expulsion of foreigners or people of foreign origin was raised. This information was revealed on January 10 by the investigative media Correctiv.

Against a backdrop of economic slowdown and inflation, the anti-migrant and anti-system Alternative for Germany party continues to progress in the polls, a few months before three important regional elections in the east of the country.