Thousands march against racism in German city
DRESDEN, GERMANY: Thousands marched against hate and racism in the eastern German city of Dresden on Saturday, a week before state elections when far-right party AfD is projected to make huge gains.
Under the banner "indivisible", a broad coalition of artists, unionists and politicians gathered to urge voters to reject exclusion, which they argue is championed by right-wing extremists.
The three-hour afternoon march took place in the baroque city, one of the most popular tourist destinations in the former communist east.
But Dresden is also the cradle of the Islamophobic movement Pegida, and the state of Saxony is a stronghold of the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany party.
Many at the protest held aloft signs that read: "No place for Nazis" and "Racism is not an alternative".
One of the marchers, 27-year-old Berlin teacher Janna Rakowski, said she wanted "to show the people of Dresden that they are not alone in the fight against racism".
She added: "We want to show our solidarity in this particular situation before the elections in Saxony."
A spokesman for the organisers, Ms Susann Riske, said: "We want to do something against the current political climate and support those who oppose hatred and violence every day."
Ms Greta Schmidt, a 66-year-old retiree from Dresden, held up a sign reading "Grandmas against the extreme right".
"The people are very dissatisfied... the big parties have sabotaged their chances," she said.
An AfD candidate in the Saxony election, Mr Nico Koehler, on Saturday denied his party is racist, calling such charges "propaganda designed to get left-wing parties into the state assembly".- AFP
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
