Berlin – April 27, 2025 — Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets across Germany on Saturday in a new wave of rallies organized by the protest group Together for Germany, calling for stricter immigration controls and an end to Berlin’s support for Ukraine. The protests were met with large counter-demonstrations and, in some cases, violent clashes.
The demonstrations, which spanned cities and towns nationwide, come amid growing concerns from Germany’s domestic intelligence agency. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution has warned that the populist protest movement could be exploited by extremist groups.
In urban centers such as Berlin and Hamburg, turnout for Together for Germany was notably sparse, while counter-protesters gathered in significant numbers, according to Deutsche Welle. The contrast was particularly pronounced in Karlsruhe, where roughly 1,200 counter-demonstrators outnumbered the alliance’s 200 supporters.
The eastern city of Weimar in Thuringia, a stronghold of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, saw one of the largest Together for Germany turnouts. Police reported around 1,100 participants, including known regional far-right figures who addressed the crowd. Approximately 850 counter-protesters, mobilized by the local Citizens’ Alliance Against the Right, also gathered.
In Dortmund, an estimated 800 alliance supporters were briefly surrounded by around 500 counter-protesters. Meanwhile, in Koblenz, authorities detained 17 individuals and issued over 50 dispersal orders after 800 anti-fascist demonstrators outnumbered the 450 alliance participants. Police there launched more than 40 criminal investigations following the unrest.
Violence broke out at several protest sites. In Reutlingen, police reported attacks by masked left-wing demonstrators, while in Nuremberg, eight officers were injured during efforts to clear city center blockades staged by counter-protesters. Authorities said batons and pepper spray were used to disperse crowds.
The Together for Germany movement has emerged as part of a broader wave of populist and far-right sentiment in the country. The group’s rhetoric aligns closely with that of the AfD, a party that has gained momentum in recent years—particularly in eastern Germany—fueled by economic disparities, post-reunification grievances, and growing public discontent with the political establishment.
In contrast to the populist surge, Germany has also seen robust public opposition to far-right ideologies. Earlier this year, as many as 1.4 million people took part in nationwide pro-democracy rallies aimed at countering the rise of extremist movements.
Saturday’s events marked the second round of protests by the alliance, following its initial demonstrations last month in cities including Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Munich, Dresden, and Hanover.
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