Thousands, including Scholz, join anti-right-wing protests in Germany

Demonstrations against right-wing extremism in Berlin and neighbouring Potsdam drew thousands of supporters on Sunday, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.

Meanwhile a separate gathering in the former communist, eastern part of Berlin commemorating the 105th anniversary of the killing of Communist Party leaders Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht ended in violence.

There were far more people at the anti-right-wing extremist protests, organizers and the police said. Estimates showed about 10,000 people at the Potsdam gathering and between several thousand and 25,000 in Berlin.

"I am standing here as one of thousands of Potsdam residents who are standing up for democracy and against old and new fascism," Baerbock told dpa. Both she and the chancellor live in Potsdam and have their constituencies there.

The rally comes days after an investigative report said that right-wing extremists and politicians from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) had met to discuss plans for the deportation of millions of migrants from Germany.

The media outlet Correctiv said it had uncovered details of a meeting in a Potsdam villa in November attended by members of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), some conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) members and members of the arch conservative Werteunion group.

The former head of the far-right Identitarian movement in Austria, Martin Sellner, confirmed to dpa that he spoke about the deportation or "remigration" of migrants at the meeting.

Right-wing extremists typically use the term "remigration" to mean that a large number of people of foreign origin should leave the country - even under duress.

According to Correctiv, Sellner named three target groups during the Potsdam meeting: Asylum seekers, foreigners with the right to stay - and "non-assimilated citizens."

Some 10,000 people joined Sunday's rally in the old market area or Altmarkt said Potsdam's Mayor Mike Schubert, who had called for the protest.

In Berlin thousands of people demonstrated in front of Berlin's historic Brandenburg Gate, the city's police department said.

The police estimated the crowd at "several thousand," according to a spokeswoman, while the climate protection group Fridays for Future, which had called along with others for the demonstration, put the number at 25,000. There were initially no incidents, the police said.

That was not the case in the eastern part of the city, where police said 21 officers were injured on Sunday following their attempt to halt what they said was criminal speech at a march commemorating the communist leaders Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht.

Four police officers were taken to hospital, a police spokesman said and 16 demonstrators were detained. The police said there were 3,000 demonstrators, while organizers said 5,000 were present.

One person speaking from a loudspeaker on a van "chanted criminal slogans" that violated German law, the police said. The spokesman did not say what was said.

When officers were unsuccessful in getting the speaker to stop, they halted the demonstration, the police said on X. Participants then attacked the police, who used pepper spray against the attackers.

The spokesman said the police do not know if any demonstrators were injured. Supporters of pro-Palestinian groups were also among the demonstrators.

Around 3,000 people took part in the march to commemorate the communist leaders, who were murdered by far-right soldiers. Monday marks the 105th anniversary of their deaths.