"Thousands March in Germany, Protesting AfD's Proposed Extreme Right Deportation Plan for Migrants"

Numerous people have publicly expressed their objections in Germany against the far-right party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), due to a proposed plan to deport immigrants. Various cities in Germany have seen an influx of large gatherings advocating for the abolition of AfD. Tens of thousands braved sub-zero temperatures this past week to voice their opposition against the party. This comes in the wake of news that senior AfD members reportedly discussed a proposal for mass deportation of immigrants, sentiments compared with those of the Nazi era. Reports indicated that as many as 35,000 individuals assembled in Frankfurt this Saturday under the slogan, “Defend democracy – Frankfurt against AfD”. Likewise, an almost equal number participated in the northern city of Hannover, according to the German newspaper, Der Spiegel. Significant crowds were also seen in Stuttgart, Dortmund, and Nuremberg. In a video message delivered Friday night, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz referred to these weekend protests as “good and right”, expressing his empathy for the over 20 million citizens with migratory backgrounds and the implications of the deportation plans. Cities such as Berlin, Leipzig, Rostock, Essen, and Cologne have already witnessed protests of up to 30,000 involvement earlier. Protesters assembled before the capital’s red brick city hall on Wednesday, carrying signs reading “Nazis out” and chanting slogans against AfD's right-wing politician, Björn Höcke. Public outrage was stoked by reports that senior members of AfD discussed a “master plan” for the mass deportation of German asylum seekers and German citizens of foreign origin during a meeting late last year. The meeting, attended by AfD members, neo-Nazis and other far-right groups, occurred in a lakeside hotel on the outskirts of Potsdam city on 25th of November. The news came into the public sphere only on January 10th, when investigative journalism network Corrective exposed the meeting, instigating a nationwide wave of protests. According to Corrective's report shedding light on the private gathering, "...the happenings today at the Landhaus Adlon hotel may seem like a dystopian drama. But they're real". The AfD has rejected claims suggesting such plans are part of their policy, and the party's leadership has attempted to distance themselves from this meeting, referring to it as a “private gathering and not an AfD party event”. Despite this, the concept of a “plan for mass deportation” was publicly endorsed by an AfD representative in the state of Brandenburg. René Springer posted on social media, stating: “We will return foreigners to their homeland. Millions of times. This is not a secret plan. It is a promise”. Many have hinted that the mass deportation plan evokes the Nazi period from 1933 to 1945 when millions were involuntarily shipped to concentration camps, forced labor, and mass extermination. Rika von Gierke, a spokesperson and activist preparing for a demonstration in Frankfurt on Saturday, told CNN that the plans of AfD "bring back terrible memories".