As CDU leader Friedrich Merz hinted at a possible hardening of the migration policy with AfD support, people across the country took to the streets in protest. “70,000 today in Cologne. Now an endless sea of lights before the Brandenburg Gate. For democracy. For human rights. For Europe”, tweeted Green Party politician Sven Giegold on Saturday evening.
“This fanning the flames with the AfD at European law will still give Friedrich Merz a headache”, Giegold wrote, sharing a video of a crowd holding up mobile phone flashlights and other light sources towards the Brandenburg Gate.
The “5vor12″anti-right-wing demonstration in Cologne on Saturday also drew a response from Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD): “Friedrich Merz wants to build the Berlin Wall against the AfD before the federal election. This would be a repeat of the mistake of his predecessors, the Centre Party in National Socialism. A betrayal and a breach of promise. We are the Berlin Wall”, the SPD politician wrote.