Saxony-Anhalt election: Thousands rally for democracy and openness

Thousands of people took to the streets in Magdeburg a day before Saxony-Anhalt’s state election, joining a democracy festival that organizers framed as a signal against exclusion and for an open society.

Organizers said 15,000 to 20,000 people attended the event on the cathedral square during the day. Police put the number at about 10,000 across several events in the state capital. A broad alliance of trade unions and civil society groups had called for the gathering.

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It would be the biggest mistake at this moment to adopt the proposed solutions of those who have not the slightest interest in defending our democracy, our freedom and the foundations of our lives.

Climate and political activist Luisa Neubauer criticized what she described as the breaking of the so-called firewall against the AfD and a move toward right-wing politics. “It would be the biggest mistake at this moment to adopt the proposed solutions of those who have not the slightest interest in defending our democracy, our freedom and the foundations of our lives,” she said. Neubauer called for maximum separation from the party.

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We will not move a single centimeter to the right.

Musicians Sebastian Krumbiegel of the band Die Prinzen and Kerstin Ott performed outside the Magdeburg state parliament. “We will not move a single centimeter to the right,” Ott said. Writer Carolin Emcke told the crowd, “These are dark times for democracy.” She said the task involved not only defending democracy, but also improving it.

The AfD held its own campaign finale with its federal leadership in parallel. The party’s Saxony-Anhalt branch has been classified by the state intelligence agency as definitively right-wing extremist. Recent polls put the AfD at around 40%. Organizers of the festival said the turnout showed that many people were ready to actively defend democratic values.

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These are dark times for democracy.