Hundreds of thousands of Germans protested at the beginning of February against the initiative by the CDU, supported by the AfD, which has been gaining in the polls. The controversy revolves around the deportation of migrants.

More than 200,000 protesters have demonstrated in Munich against far-right extremism ahead of the German general election

More than 200,000 protesters rallied in Munich, Germany, on Saturday against far-right extremism ahead of the country's general election. The far-right, anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany, or AfD, is in second place in recent polls and has prompted widespread protests across the country before voters cast their ballots on Feb. 23.

A 99-year-old Holocaust survivor demonstrated against Germany's far right on Saturday. Albrecht Weinberg was those protesting in the north-western town of Leer, one week after a motion on migration reforms passed in the lower house of the German parliament with support from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).