Hundreds of thousands of protestors gathered in German cities on Saturday to condemn the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

Approximately 100,000 demonstrators gathered in Dusseldorf under the motto "We will not remain silent against AfD" to condemn what they described as "xenophobia, racial discrimination, and right-wing extremism in Germany."

Protesters carried flags decrying racism and yelled slogans against the AfD, and politicians from all parties joined and supported the march in Aachen, near the Dutch border.

#hh2801 #Hamburgstehtauf
Hamburg - ihr seid der Wahnsinn!!! Die letzte Demo wurde jetzt schon übertroffen. Es sind über 50.000 Menschen die #AfDzerstoertDeutschland sagen! @fff_hamburg und alle anderen Dankeschön 🤝🤜🤛#AfDgehoertnichtzuDeutschland #AfDmachtDumm pic.twitter.com/dZEMYShs0v

— Scoopic (@Scoopic) January 28, 2024

In Kiel, police reported nearly 11,500 people attending a demonstration planned against the AfD.

While the AfD has seen growing support nationally, with recent opinion polls placing it at 22% in a July 2023 poll, making it the second-largest party behind the main opposition conservatives, its strength is particularly pronounced in former East Germany, where it polls at around 32 percent, according to a survey commissioned by Der Spiegel magazine.

The rise of AfD has triggered social democrats much to the point of Scholz calling them a "demolition commando" that is a threat to German democracy.

"Most citizens know that the self-called 'Alternative' is, in reality, a demolition commando -- a demolition squad for our country," Scholz told parliament at the start of budget debate week, while also expressing concern about the AfD's advocacy for a return to nationalism.

In August 2023, German sources told The Telegraph that the Bundestag is contemplating banning the  AfD. 

Read more: The Spectator: The rise of the AfD in Germany explained