Tens of thousands protested in Berlin against the Christian Democratic Union's (CDU) collaboration with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) on immigration issues, seen as a breach of post-war political taboos. The protests, occurring three weeks before national elections, were sparked by CDU leader Friedrich Merz's attempts to gain AfD support. Demonstrators called for democratic parties to uphold democracy, while Merz defended his actions as necessary despite backlash from former leaders like Angela Merkel. Teljes cikk (bbc.com europe)