An "Our country first" banner at an AfD event in the German village of Mödlareuth, also known as "Little Berlin" after World War II when the village was spit in half by the border, during German unity day, on Oct. 3.
Martin Schutt/picture alliance/Getty Images
The Far Right Is on the Rise in Germany and Scholz Is at a Loss
The AfD has seen a surge in support and is targeting a string of elections next year to cement its gains
On German unity day, police in Dresden secured a far-right rally from being disrupted by a crowd of black-clad protestors blasting techno music and chanting slogans decrying fascism.
Hundreds of mainly older supporters of Alternative für Deutschland were enjoying beer, sausages and rabble-rousing speeches last month when their opponents marched toward the gathering on a cobbled square in the eastern city’s historic center with rainbow flags and banners supporting migrants. Kitted out with body armor, the state’s security personnel ensured the standoff remained peaceful, but the raw emotions were impossible to ignore.