Tens of thousands demonstrate in Dresden for democracy and against right-wing extremism

Tens of thousands demonstrated for democracy and against right-wing extremism in Dresden on Saturday with flags, banners and placards. "Today we are standing here together to defend what defines and unites us - against any feeling of foreignness: we are the same because we are all children of mankind," said the bishop of the Protestant regional church, Tobias Bilz. More than 120 organizations had called for the large rally under the motto "We are the firewall" against hatred and agitation.

"It's great that we are showing a clear edge everywhere in Germany these weeks," said singer Johannes Strate from the Hamburg band "Revolverheld", who opened the programme on stage as the Theaterplatz in front of the Semperoper continued to fill up. The band also provided the slogan for the day: "We together against fascism". There were many families in the crowd, some with homemade signs reading "Colorful instead of brown" or "Boogers against Nazis".

"We have equal dignity and equal rights," emphasized Bishop Bilz. "It is incompatible with the Christian faith to devalue people because of their origin, their gender, their faith or their social affiliation." In view of the danger to the free democratic basic order, Christians are called upon to speak out and not withdraw into the private sphere.

Giving the AfD their vote "means making right-wing extremists and racists acceptable again", warned a representative of the Jewish communities, referring to history. Mass resistance from civil society is needed to ensure that the atrocities of National Socialism are never repeated.

For years, the Islamophobic and xenophobic Pegida movement had gathered on the prominent square in the Old Town. On the weekend before last in January, up to 40,000 people took to the streets under the slogan "Together against the right". There were also rallies in Leipzig and Chemnitz, as well as in smaller Saxon cities, back then and repeatedly since then.