Demonstration in Saxony-Anhalt: Some Set Off Fireworks, Others Are Left in Tears

Shortly after 6 p.m., Saaeid Saaeid covers his face with both hands and turns away. A few minutes later, he sits on a low wall outside an office building in central Magdeburg and wipes tears from his eyes. He remains silent before saying: “It is hurtful.” His face shows what changed when the election result came in: the pain of watching the right celebrate its victory.

Saaeid has lived in Magdeburg for six and a half years. He is now a German citizen and originally comes from Syria. People know him in the city, where he serves on the Integration Advisory Council. During the campaign, he became one of the most important voices for the migrant community.

He had expected the right to triumph. But the scale of the result still appears to have stunned him. Around him, the election night takes on sharply different forms. AfD supporters set off fireworks, while opponents of the party mourn. The contrast captures the tension of a state described as politically divided, where the result has altered how many people experience the country’s democracy.

The evening in Magdeburg is therefore more than a celebration or a moment of defeat. It shows the emotional consequences of the result for people who work on integration and represent migrant communities, as well as the determination among the party’s opponents to continue despite their grief.

“

It is hurtful.