Cologne: Thousands Rally Against the Far Right

Thousands of people filled Cologne’s Heumarkt to protest right-wing extremism after the AfD’s strong showing in Saxony-Anhalt. Police estimated the crowd at about 9,000. A WDR reporter put the figure at roughly 15,000, while organizers said 20,000 people attended.

The demonstration, organized by the coalition Cologne Stands United, carried the slogan "No Right-Wing Extremists in Power." The group said it wanted to create a space for immediate reactions, protest and analysis after the election. It called for a stable firewall against the AfD in state parliaments and civil society, as well as opposition to racism, antisemitism, hate and violence.

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In a situation in which right-wing extremists could come to power in a state for the first time, we democrats want and must raise our voices loudly and clearly.

The gathering included social groups such as ColognePride and representatives of the Greens, the SPD youth organization Jusos and the Left Party. Local media reported that the area in front of the stage was completely full before speeches began.

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Not immune to anti-democratic tendencies.

Cologne Mayor Brigitta von Bülow, who also speaks for the protest coalition, said the city was "not immune to anti-democratic tendencies." She welcomed the fact that all democratic parties on the city council had clearly reaffirmed the firewall against the AfD after the Saxony-Anhalt vote. "Enemies of democracy must not be made socially acceptable," she said.

The AfD won the Saxony-Anhalt state election with 43.8% of the vote. The CDU, led by Minister President Sven Schulze, received 17.2%, halving its 2021 result and finishing a distant second. Tobias Rausch, parliamentary manager of the AfD’s state parliamentary group, said afterward that he would invite all parties to exploratory talks. All parties except the BSW rejected any cooperation with the AfD.

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Enemies of democracy must not be made socially acceptable.