AfD in first vote test since huge protest wave in Germany

BERLIN - The far-right AfD party faces its first electoral test on Sunday after huge protests swept across Germany against the anti-immigration group over revelations of debates about mass expulsions of foreigners.

Over a million people have joined marches in cities from Hamburg to Dresden to Stuttgart in protest at the Alternative for Germany party over the last days and tens of thousands poured into the streets again on Saturday.

The wave of mobilization was sparked by a Jan 10 report, which revealed that AfD members had discussed the expulsion of immigrants and "non-assimilated citizens" at a meeting with extremists.

Sunday's run-off vote in eastern Thuringia for a district administrator post is the first election since the outrage over the Potsdam meeting.

Nationwide opinion polls put the AfD in second place after the conservatives. A first poll since the protest wave showed the anti-immigration party slipping 1.5 percent in support so far.

AFP