WORLD NEWS FOR MONTENEGRO DIASPORA
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AUTHOR:M.J. GDNUS
Thousands of people gathered across Germany today to demand a ban on the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, as the party challenges the domestic intelligence agency's decision to classify it as a right-wing "extremist" party.
Protesters gathered in more than 60 cities, from Cologne to Hamburg, including Berlin, at the call of the network "Together Against the Right" (Zusammen gegen Rechts).
"The AfD is not a normal party and should not be treated as such. Now is the time to seriously consider banning the party," their website says.
In Berlin, a rally at the iconic Brandenburg Gate attracted more than 7,000 people in the afternoon, according to organizers, and 3,000 according to police.
The crowd chanted "All together against fascism" while waving rainbow flags and banners against the party that won 20 percent of the vote in the last parliamentary elections.
Days before the inauguration of the new chancellor, conservative Friedrich Merz, domestic intelligence agencies classified the AfD as a right-wing "extremist" party that could pose a threat to the democratic order.
On Thursday, Germany's intelligence agency temporarily suspended the decision pending a court ruling, as the party appealed.
The decision has already caused significant political tension, especially in relations with the administration of US President Donald Trump, which has sided with the AfD.
