Tens of thousands of people protested across Germany against the rise of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) on Saturday, the same day that tech entrepreneur Elon Musk gave a speech to members of the far-right party.
A huge crowd denounced the AfD at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate, and also protested against the far right around Europe and the Donald Trump administration. Meanwhile, Musk gave a surprise video address at the party's campaign launch ahead of next month's elections.
It came days after Musk provoked fierce debate in Germany after making a gesture at the inauguration of President Donald Trump that was denounced by some as a Nazi salute.
Newsweek has contacted the AfD and Musk via email.
Why It Matters
The German economy, which lies at the heart of the EU, is facing turbulence after Chancellor Olaf Scholz's three-party governing coalition collapsed last year. A federal election will be held on February 23.
Friedrich Merz's Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union has 30 percent support, followed by Alice Weidel's AfD at 21 percent and Scholz's Social Democrats with 16 percent, according to the latest poll by research institute INSA published by Bild am Sonntag newspaper.
As the country goes to the polls, mainstream parties have said they refuse to work with the AfD, which has in Musk a powerful supporter who controls the influential social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
What To Know
Rallies were held in Berlin, Cologne and other cities in Germany on Saturday in protest at the rise of the AfD party ahead of the election.
The party was denounced in songs and banners carried by protesters at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate, with activists drawing attention to the far right in Europe and concerns about the new Trump administration.
Protesters also opposed the immigration plans of Merz, the Christian Democratic front-runner for chancellor who has proposed some ideas the AfD shares. These include permanent border checks and expedited deportation of migrants who entered the country illegally or whose asylum request has been turned down.
Lorenz Blumenthaler, from the Berlin-based Amadeu Antonio Foundation, which monitors antisemitism and racism, told Newsweek on Monday that the rallies were encouraging and showed how most people in Germany did not want to see the country lurch to the far right without a fight.
He added that more than one million people took to the streets last year to oppose the AfD's deportation plans and that the democrats must become louder in opposing right-wing extremism, racism and antisemitism.
The protests took place as AfD opened its election campaign in the city of Halle, where Weidel, AfD's candidate for chancellor, addressed around 4,500 people.
Musk, who has previously shown his support for Weidel sparking outrage in Germany, gave a remote address at the rally, telling the crowd: "It's good to be proud of German culture, German values, and not to lose that in some sort of multiculturalism that dilutes everything."
In what was seen as a reference to wartime atrocities in Germany under the Nazis, he said there was "too much focus on past guilt" and "children should not be guilty of the sins of their parents, let alone their great-grandparents."
He rejected claims that his controversial gesture at Trump's inauguration was a "Nazi salute." Those who have backed him include Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
What People Are Saying
Lorenz Blumenthaler, a spokesperson for the Amadeu Antonio Foundation, which monitors antisemitism and racism, told Newsweek: "What we saw this weekend in Germany is encouraging. The majority in this country is still democratic and does not want to leave the country to the far right without a fight."
Elon Musk at the AfD campaign launch: "The future of civilization could hang on this election."
What Happens Next
Musk's influence in the election in Germany looks likely to continue. He is supposed to deliver another video statement at an event hosted by the newspaper Die Welt on Tuesday which both Merz and Weidel are due to attend, Bloomberg reported.
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