Antifa Rallies Rock Halle Ahead of AfD’s Historic State Election Bid

Thousands of far-left Antifa activists flooded the streets of the German city of Halle on Saturday, a last-minute show of opposition before voters head to the polls in Saxony-Anhalt, where the anti-mass migration Alternative for Germany (AfD) is projected to secure a historic victory.

According to German public broadcaster Tagesschau, some 26 protests were registered across the state over the weekend. In Halle alone, local police estimated that around 2,500 people joined an Antifa rally on Saturday evening under the banner “Stay anti-fascist!”. Participants, many clad in black bloc clothing and masks, carried Antifa and LGBT flags alongside placards reading “FCK NZS” and “FCK AFD”.

The demonstrations come as Saxony-Anhalt prepares for what could be a landmark moment in the AfD’s 13-year history. Polling published ahead of Sunday’s vote projected the populist-nationalist party to win between 41 and 43 per cent of the vote, putting it on the verge of forming a state government outright for the first time.

The prospect of an AfD-led administration has clearly rattled leftist groups, but how organic this weekend’s turnout really was remains a question. MDR reported that demonstrators were not purely local — they travelled from cities including Leipzig, Dresden, Jena, and Berlin to join the protests, suggesting a coordinated national mobilisation rather than a spontaneous local outpouring.

Pro-democracy festival draws thousands in Magdeburg

In the state capital of Magdeburg, an estimated 15,000 people attended a so-called pro-democracy festival organised by the “Saxony-Anhalt Open to the World” alliance. The event was one of several large gatherings designed to send a message against the AfD’s anticipated breakthrough.

The protests underline the deep polarisation that has come to define German state politics, with the AfD’s rise forcing established parties into uncomfortable positions. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU), led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, has repeatedly ruled out any coalition with the AfD, despite the party’s projected 20 per cent support in Saxony-Anhalt.

Instead, the CDU may be forced to rely on the informal support or at least the abstention of Die Linke (The Left) — the direct descendant of East Germany’s communist-era ruling party — to form a minority government. The left-wing Social Democrats (SPD) and the far-left Greens could also play a decisive role, provided they clear the five per cent threshold required for representation in the state parliament.

Much will depend on the fate of smaller parties in Sunday’s vote. If the SPD and Greens both secure seats, the CDU could cobble together a fragile coalition even as the AfD wins the largest share of the vote. Should those parties fall short of the threshold, however, the AfD’s path to power could become much clearer.

The weekend’s rallies, which drew thousands of Antifa radicals and leftist activists, reflect the high stakes of the election, not just for Saxony-Anhalt but for the broader German political landscape. A victory by the AfD would mark a significant shift in a state long seen as a stronghold of the CDU, which has governed Saxony-Anhalt for years.

As voters prepare to cast their ballots, the sense of panic among the left appears palpable. The demonstrations in Halle and Magdeburg are only the latest sign of the intense opposition the AfD faces — and the deep uncertainty that surrounds the state’s political future, regardless of Sunday’s outcome.

Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2026/09/06/thousands-of-antifa-radicals-rally-ahead-of-expected-afd-victory-in-german-state-election/