Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Germany to protest against the attempt of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) to push a proposal to limit illegal migration through the Bundestag with the support of the far-right party "Alternative for Germany" (AfG), DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
Several thousand people took part in the rally in Cologne, local police reported. Many of the demonstrators held up placards with slogans condemning CDU leader and chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz.
"No Merz in March" read one placard, a reference to the parliamentary elections scheduled for February 23.
"Fritz listen to Muti!" read another placard. Fritz is the German nickname for the CDU leader, and some Germans call former CDU Chancellor Angela Merkel "Mutti" or Mom, DPA explained. This week, Merkel sharply criticized Merz for the decision "for the first time in history to achieve majorities in the German Bundestag together with the AfD."
About 3,000 people took to the streets of Essen, and there were also demonstrations in Aachen.
The CDU and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), on Wednesday pushed through the Bundestag a non-binding proposal calling for a stricter migration policy. The plan was supported by the AfD. Yesterday, when the Bundestag considered the actual bill, lawmakers rejected it by 350 to 338 votes.