The far-right Alternative for Germany party could become the most powerful party in the state parliaments if it wins elections in Thuringia and Saxony on September 1.
advertisementJust weeks before state elections in Thuringia and Saxony, the “Omas gegen Rechts” or “Grandmas Against the Right” movement is back in action in Germany.
The movement urges people to protest to protect democracy.
Most recently, hundreds of protesters marched through the Thuringian state capital on Saturday.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has been in the state parliament for 10 years and could become the most powerful party in the September 1 election.
The first group of “Grandmas Against the Right” was formed in Austria in 2017, during the first centre-right government of Sebastian Kurz, after he formed a coalition with the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ).
A local chapter was established in Germany in the spring of 2018. Since then, the movement has expanded and aims to show that right-wing ideology is not an alternative for older generations either.
According to its organizers, the movement now has around 30,000 active members and actively campaigns against racism, misogyny and anti-Semitism.
In 2020, the Central Council of German Jews awarded the Paul Spiegel Prize for civic courage to the “Grandmas Against the Right”.
