September 5, 2026
Thousands of demonstrators for ‘democracy’ in Saxony-Anhalt ahead of elections
According to a German police official, they arrived today, Saturday (September 5, 2026).(About 6000 people in the temple square In the city of Magdeburg, capital of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, more participants continue to flow.
The event was organized by the Saxony-Anhalt Open to the World coalition and the festival aimed to send a strong message in support of democracy, diversity and social cohesion at a time when the right-wing, populist, anti-immigration party Alternative for Germany is leading the polls by a comfortable margin.
Some participants held up rainbow-colored flags and banners reading: “More love, less hate,” “Better life without Nazis,” “Stop AfD” and “Never again.”
The invitation to participate reads: “As initiatives, clubs, associations and individuals, we take a stand and fight for respectful coexistence in our state. Present your initiatives and meet committed members of our diverse civil society.”“.
A total of eight demonstrations were reported in Magdeburg on Saturday, including a “human chain for democracy” and a “bike ride for democracy,” according to police.“. In addition, several political parties with the participation of politicians at the federal level held their final pre-election rallies and the city witnessed extensive police security measures..
The state of Saxony-Anhalt will hold elections for the new state parliament on Sunday. The anti-immigration party Alternative for Germany has a comfortable lead in opinion polls and is expected to win a majority of seats in the heavily populated state parliament. 2.1 million people.
The alternative party is confident of victory
Like other parties, the Alternative Party ended its nationwide election campaign today with hundreds of excited party supporters waving small flags, the German News Agency (DPA) reported. During the event, party representatives expressed great confidence in achieving victory, not only at the state level of Saxony-Anhalt, but even at the federal level in Berlin.
The party, which has been officially classified by the state’s domestic intelligence agency as a far-right party, is aiming to take over the country’s leadership in an unprecedented breakthrough in Germany since the end of World War II, but it is not certain that it will win the absolute majority that would guarantee it a hold on power.
All parties have so far refused to enter into any coalition with the Alternative, except for the Russian-aligned left-wing populist party known as Sarah Wagenknecht’s Alliance for Reason and Justice, whose members are split on the issue.
