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Friday, January 31

Thousands protest against migration proposals outside CDU office

One day after the CDU passed a migration policy proposal in the Bundestag with the help of AfD votes, thousands gathered in front of the party’s Berlin headquarters in protest.

Photo: IMAGO / F. Anthea Schaap

Friday, January 31

Thousands protest against migration proposals outside CDU office

The backlash was swift. On Thursday evening, up to 13,000 people gathered outside the CDU’s federal headquarters in Berlin-Tiergarten, protesting against the party’s recent move to tighten migration policies with the backing of the far-right AfD. Police estimated at least 6,000 attendees, while organizers from the alliance ‘Together Against the Right’ claimed thousands more were present.

The demonstration, joined by groups such as ‘Omas gegen Rechts’ and climate advocate Luisa Neubauer, remained peaceful with no incidents reported. The uproar follows CDU leader Friedrich Merz’s decision to push a five-point migration policy plan through the Bundestag – one that only passed because of AfD votes. The move is widely seen as a breach of the so-called “firewall” against far-right cooperation.

The controversy has sparked criticism even within CDU ranks. Berlin’s mayor Kai Wegner and former chancellor Angela Merkel distanced themselves from the decision, while legal experts suggest the policy proposal is likely unconstitutional.