Anti-far-right demo in Hanover draws 35,000 as protests sweep Germany

Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets in the northern German city of Hanover to protest against right-wing extremism, with similar rallies being held all across the country.

Former German president Christian Wulff and the premier of the state of Lower Saxony, Stephan Weil, were among those addressing the protesters on Hanover's Opera Square.

Organizers put the number of participants at 35,000, saying this estimate was in accordance with police figures.

The police were not initially available for comment.

Protesters carried banners with slogans including "We are diverse" and "Faschism isn't an alternative."

The countrywide protests were sparked by a report from news outlet Correctiv which revealed that members of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party held a meeting with far-right extremists in November in Potsdam. Members of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the largest opposition party, also attended.

At the Potsdam meeting, far-right extremists discussed topics like "remigration," a term frequently used in far-right circles as a euphemism for the expulsion of immigrants and minorities, including those who are naturalized German citizens.

Anti-AfD rallies were being held in several German cities on Saturday, including the country's financial hub Frankfurt where 35,000 were said to be protesting.