Thousands demonstrate at CDU headquarters in Berlin after immigration vote

Thousands demonstrate at CDU headquarters in Berlin after immigration vote
CDU leader Friedrich Merz, pictured above, had made a commitment to avoid passing legislation in the Bundestag with the help of the AfD © cdu-landesgruppe-nrw.de

About 6,000 people protested on Thursday evening outside the headquarters of Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Berlin, according to German police.

The demonstration was in response to the CDU seeking support from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) during a controversial vote on Wednesday in the Bundestag - the lower house of Germany's parliament -  for a CDU motion on stricter immigration policies. The motion passed with the help of the AfD.

The protest was organised by the group Zusammen gegen Rechts under the slogan of ‘No cooperation with AfD.’ Activists on the group’s Instagram channel described Wednesday’s vote as “taboo-breaking” and “absolutely unacceptable.”

A police spokesperson said Thursday evening's protest was peaceful. A CDU spokesperson reported that staff at the national headquarters had been asked to leave early as a precaution, noting that it would not have been safe to exit the building during the demonstration.

Protests had already taken place in various locations across Germany on Wednesday evening.

Earlier on Thursday, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) criticised her party in light of the vote.

In a statement released by her office, Merkel - who led Germany between 2005 and 2021 - slammed the decision "to enable a majority with the votes of the AfD for the first time in a vote in the German Bundestag."

CDU leader Friedrich Merz had made a commitment to avoid passing legislation in the Bundestag with the help of the AfD, Merkel recalled.


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