Thousands protest far-right party in Germany
Mass protests took place across 114 cities in Germany on Jan. 21 against the far-right political party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD). The demonstrations came in response to revelations that party leaders held a national meeting of extremist to discuss mass deportations, including of "non-assimilated citizens." According to activist group Together Against the Right, the weekend demonstrations brought out over 1.5 million attendees across the country, under slogans such as "DEFEND DEMOCRACY," "IT FEELS LIKE 1933," and "NEVER AGAIN IS NOW."
The "secret" meeting in Berlin on Nov. 25 was revealed in an exposé published by investigative journalism group Correctiv. It brougt together far-right figures from across both Germany and Austria, including some identified as "neo-Nazi," and was apparently backed by prominent German businessmen.
The scandal comes amid growing pressure to ban the AfD as a "danger to democracy." Local media reported that demonstrators echoed these calls at the protests.
The AfD first entered Germany's parliament in 2017, placing third in that year's election. In 2014, the party won its first seats in the European Parliament, garnering around seven percent of the vote.
Germany's Constitutional Court ruled Jan. 23 that another extremist political party, Die Heimat, or The Homeland, will be excluded from state funding. Die Heimat was previously known as Nationaldemokratische Partei Deutschlands (NPD), which faced numerous attempts to have it banned as a neo-Nazi formation. The party rebranded as Die Heimat in 2023, seemingly to evade such efforts. The Constitutional Court ruling excludes Die Heimat from state funding, essentially eradicating the party's financial base.
From Jurist, Jan. 23; Jurist, Jan. 21. Used with permission.
See our last report on the AfD.
German court upholds 'extremist' classification of AfD
A German higher administrative court in Münster ruled May 13 that the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Germany's domestic intelligence agency, was justified in designating the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and its youth organization Young Alternative for Germany (JA) as "extremist," and therefore retains the right to keep the AfD under surveillance. (Jurist)
Germany: violence at far-right anti-Islam event
German police on May 31 shot and wounded a knifeman who attacked a right-wing, anti-Islam demonstration led by the Pax Europa Movement in the city of Mannheim, local police said in a statement. The attacker, whose name has not been disclosed, is described as a 25-year-old man born in Afghanistan who has lived in Germany since 2014. (Jurist)
German AfD politician injured in knife attack ahead of election
Heinrich Koch, a German politician from the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, was injured in a knife attack in Mannheim on June 4. Koch is running for the Mannheim municipal council election this week. (Jurist)
Germany pledges deportations after Mannheim knife attack
In a speech to parliament, Chancellor Olaf Scholz vowed June 6 that Germany will start deporting "criminals" after a knife attack by an Afghan immigrant last week left one police officer dead and four more people injured in the city of Mannheim. Germany does not currently deport people to Afghanistan and Syria due to the humanitarian and security situations in those countries. (Jurist)
Tens of thousands protest far-right party convention in Germany
Tens of thousands of people marched June 29 in Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, against an ongoing convention by the far-right Alternative for Germany party (AfD). The protest was reported to be generally calm, although several arrests were made and police said two officers were hospitalized in brief clashes with protestors. The A25 highway was also temporarily blocked. (Jurist)
German court fines far-right politician for using Nazi slogan
A regional court in Halle, Saxony-Anhalt, fined Björn Höcke, a prominent member of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, €16,900 on July 1 for publicly using a slogan associated with the Nazi party.
During an AfD event in December 2023, Höcke used the phrase "Alles für Deutschland," or "Everything for Germany." The slogan was previously used by the Nazi Party's paramilitary Sturmabteilung (SA).In his speech, Höcke spoke the first part of the phrase "Alles für" and encouraged the audience to complete it with "Deutschland."
Under §86a of the German criminal code, using symbols of unconstitutional and terrorist organisations is punishable by up to three years in prison or a fine. This includes disseminating symbols, such as slogans or greetings of a political party or organization declared unconstitutional. The Nazi party (NSDAP) and its affiliated groups, such as the SA and the Schutzstaffel (SS), are classified as unconstitutional organizations under §86 (1) Nr. 4 of the German criminal code.
Höcke had previously been fined €13,000 in May for using the same slogan during a 2021 speech. (Jurist)