In Germany, massive crowds of demonstrators took to the streets to protest against two mainstream conservative parties — Christian Democratic Union, or CDU, and Christian Social Union, or CSU — cooperating with the far-right Alternative for Germany, AfD, to pass an anti-immigrant measure. The nonbinding motion would allow authorities to reject asylum seekers at the German border and facilitate deportations. In a rare move, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel condemned her successor as head of the CDU, Friedrich Merz, for collaborating with the extreme right. This is a protester speaking from Dresden Thursday.

Uta Fuchs: “I find that simply inconceivable, because, yes, for the first time since 1932, no, 1945, this is the first time that a fascist party or a party with very strong fascist tendencies — I don’t want to belittle that at all — exercised power here and that must not be allowed to happen in Germany.”

Germans will head to the polls for a federal election on February 23.