24 Jun 2024 | 11:05 AM UTC
Germany: Anti-right-wing demonstrations are likely in cities nationwide through late June
Civil society protests likely in urban centers across Germany through late June. Increased security, transport disruptions likely.
Civil society groups will likely stage protests in urban centers across Germany through late June denouncing a perceived rise in right-wing ideology. Related demonstrations in recent days have drawn large crowds in major cities, including Berlin, Munich, Bremen, Cologne, Dresden, Kiel, Stuttgart, Hamburg, and Frankfurt; these locations will likely continue to attract the largest crowds in the coming days. However, smaller urban centers, including towns, sometimes gather significant crowds in central areas.
Participation in these protests will vary significantly by location, from the low hundreds to the low thousands. The largest gatherings will likely occur in major cities on weekends or after business hours on weekdays. Protests are most likely in central squares and markets, outside government buildings, and on major roads.
Heightened security is likely near all demonstrations, and road closures will prompt localized traffic disruptions. Counterprotests are possible, and scuffles between demonstrators and police or between supporters of rival political groupings cannot be ruled out.
As a standard precaution, avoid all demonstrations. Monitor local media for updates on upcoming demonstrations. Strictly heed all instructions from law enforcement officers. Immediately leave the area at the first sign that any security disturbance may occur.
A spike in demonstrations denouncing right-wing ideology has accompanied the increasing popularity of the Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) party. Civil society groups have denounced the AfD's nationalist stance and anti-migrant rhetoric, particularly since a media investigation in January revealed the party's support for the deportation of immigrants and their descendants. Additionally, a German court ruled in May that security forces could keep the party under surveillance as a "suspected extremist group," and civil society groups have since increasingly called for the party to be banned under Germany's anti-extremism laws. However, despite widespread protests denouncing the party, the June 6-9 European Parliament elections saw the AfD become the second-biggest party in Germany, beating Chancellor Olaf Scholz's governing coalition. Further demonstrations denouncing the AfD are likely, particularly following court cases or developments in other scandals dogging the party.
