Thousands of people gathered in Germany on Sunday to protest against far-right extremism, including Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. The demonstrations came in response to a recent report that revealed a meeting among extremists who discussed the deportation of millions of immigrants, including German citizens, if they were to gain power.

Protests took place in Potsdam, near Berlin, as well as at the iconic Brandenburg Gate in the capital. These demonstrations followed a previous gathering that occurred on Saturday in Duisburg, a city in western Germany.

Scholz and Baerbock, who represent the Potsdam area in the German parliament, were among the thousands of locals who participated in the protests. Baerbock stated that these rallies were a show of support for democracy and a strong stance against all forms of fascism, both old and new.

The reported far-right meeting, which took place in November, was uncovered by media outlet Correctiv. It allegedly involved members of the extremist Identitarian Movement and the far-right Alternative for Germany party (AfD). During the meeting, Martin Sellner, a prominent member of the Identitarian Movement and an Austrian citizen, outlined his vision for "remigration" and discussed potential deportations.

AfD has distanced itself from the meeting, claiming that it had no organizational or financial ties to the event. They further emphasized that any members of their party who attended did so in a personal capacity, and that they are not responsible for the discussions that took place.

The controversy surrounding this event has sparked calls for Germany to consider banning AfD, a party that has gradually leaned towards the right since its establishment in 2013. Some opponents of the idea argue that the banning process would be lengthy, success would be uncertain, and it could potentially provide the party with a victim narrative.

Currently, AfD holds the second position in national polls, trailing behind the mainstream center-right opposition but ahead of the parties in Chancellor Scholz's center-left coalition, which is facing dwindling popularity. Germany is approaching the European Parliament election in June and state elections in September, particularly in three eastern regions where AfD has a strong base of support, including Brandenburg—where the city of Potsdam is located.