study
Demos against right-wing extremism give many people a good feeling
According to the police, up to 100,000 people took part in a demonstration against right-wing extremism in front of the Reichstag building in Berlin on January 21, 2024
© Carsten Koall / DPA
The demonstrations against right-wing extremism also have a psychological effect. According to a study, many people have the feeling that something is moving again in Germany.
The revelations by the Correctiv network about a right-wing extremist secret meeting in Potsdam were a kind of wake-up call for many citizens. “Demonstrators describe how this shook them out of the lethargy and passive-resigned mood that they had felt in the face of the multiple crises of the last few months,” explained Grünewald.
Demos against right-wing extremism as a “wake-up call”
According to the study, 67 percent of those surveyed believe that the demonstrations are a “wake-up call for politics.” They are critical of the federal government: 70 percent agreed with the statement that the traffic light coalition was strengthening the AfD through its disunity.
Demonstrations nationwide
Hundreds of thousands show their flag against right-wing extremism – the images from the protest weekend
Most participants in the demonstrations and their sympathizers hoped that the movement would continue, the Rheingold Institute said. 29 percent of those surveyed said they would take part in future demonstrations against right-wing extremism and for democracy. At the end of January, the institute surveyed 1,061 people online and conducted 26 in-depth interviews.