A populist mobilization against German Chancellor Friedrich Merz gathered 10,000 protesters this Saturday in the eastern city of Plauen, where they demanded the resignation of his government and the immediate holding of early elections.
The promoters of the campaign, known as "Project M1llion," disseminated a catalog of 11 demands, including lowering the cost of energy, implementing a public transport ticket of 29 euros valid throughout the country, a thorough reform of public broadcasting, and the immediate deportation of "all illegal immigrants, criminals, and convicts."
In direct reference to the peaceful revolution of 1989, many attendees chanted the slogan "We are the people," a phrase that was used in the anti-communist protests of former East Germany.
The protest, called under the slogan "Unity for Germany," officially declared itself unrelated to any political party. However, the Alliance for Democracy, Tolerance, and Civic Courage, a local pro-democracy group, warned about the involvement of far-right sectors in the organization.
"The event is being promoted by far-right channels; on Facebook, comments about the demonstration contain messages of hate, and calls to action spread anti-Semitic and ethnonationalist rhetoric," the group wrote.
In parallel, a counter-demonstration gathered about 400 people, according to the Police, with no significant incidents occurring during the afternoon.
At the main gathering, numerous German flags and blue posters with white doves stood out. Flags of the historic Kingdom of Saxony were also waving, symbols frequently used by the far-right party Free Saxons, which had called on its base to join the march. "This cartel, this government must go!", shouted one of the speakers at the beginning of the event, eliciting a standing ovation from those present.
The 11-point program of the initiative also includes the abolition of the CO2 tax, the implementation of a direct democracy system inspired by the Swiss model, and the simplification of bureaucracy.