Thousands demonstrate in Dresden against right-wing extremism

It's about a firewall against the right: several thousand people gathered in Dresden on Sunday for another major rally for democracy and against right-wing extremist activities. As the organizers, the alliance "Wir sind die Brandmauer" (We are the firewall), announced on Sunday afternoon, thousands gathered on Dresden's Neumarkt square. A spokesperson for the action alliance spoke of around 20,000 people. The police did not initially state the number of participants. Speakers included climate activist Luisa Neubauer from Fridays for Future Germany.

Neubauer called on people to stand up against indifference. The message: "You don't have democracy. You live democracy." That is why it is important that as many people as possible take a stand against right-wing extremists. "What is happening right now is scaring the fascists," said Neubauer.

According to the organizer, Marcus Fuchs, the organizer of the Dresden Querdenken demonstrations, attempted to disrupt the demonstration with around ten supporters at the beginning. However, the police broke up the counter-protest relatively quickly.

People also took to the streets in other Saxon cities on Sunday - for example in Zwickau, Bautzen, Görlitz and Meißen.

The background to this is research by Correctiv. In January, the media outlet made public a meeting between right-wing extremists and politicians from the AfD and CDU in a Potsdam villa in November 2023. There, Martin Sellner, former head of the far-right Identitarian movement in Austria, spoke about "remigration". When right-wing extremists use the term, they usually mean that a large number of people of foreign origin should leave the country - even under duress. This sparked protests across Germany. In Dresden, it was the third major demonstration in just a few weeks.

After the opening rally on Neumarkt square, a demonstration march was planned through the old town via Schlossplatz square and Augustusbrücke bridge to the State Chancellery and back to the starting point.