Ahead of the state elections in Saxony and Thuringia, tensions are high as the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is predicted to secure significant support, triggering protests across the region. On Saturday, hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets of Erfurt to rally against the anti-immigration party, coinciding with an AfD campaign event scheduled later that day.

Organized by the "Auf die Plätze" (On Your Marks) alliance, the march in Erfurt saw participants brandishing banners and chanting slogans as they made their way through the city center, eventually congregating at the main Cathedral Square. Their collective message was clear: they would not allow the AfD to dominate the election weekend with their extreme right-wing rhetoric and to misuse the city as a platform for their propaganda.

The protest wave extended beyond Erfurt, with demonstrations also taking place in Dresden, Görlitz, Zwickau, and other eastern cities. The signs held by protesters drew comparisons between an AfD victory and Germany's dark Nazi era, underscoring the depth of concern many hold towards the far-right party's rise in influence.

In Thuringia, the AfD appears poised to secure approximately 30% of the vote in Sunday's election, surpassing the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and other left-wing parties such as the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance BSW and the socialist Left Party by a significant margin. Similarly, in Saxony, the AfD is trailing behind the CDU, but close enough to be within the margin of error, with the BSW ranking third.

The outcome of these elections is anticipated to deal a blow to Chancellor Olaf Scholz's coalition, consisting of the Social Democrats, Greens, and Free Democrats. As discontent over immigration and economic disparities between eastern and western regions in Germany grows, voters are expressing their frustration with the mainstream parties. However, the refusal of these parties to collaborate with the AfD makes it unlikely that the far-right party will be able to form a coalition in either state, even if they emerge as the victor on Election Day.

Meanwhile, state domestic intelligence agencies have categorized the AfD in Thuringia and Saxony as right-wing extremist organizations, further fueling concerns about the party's influence and political agenda.

As election day approaches, all eyes are on Saxony and Thuringia to witness the unfolding of a potentially transformative political landscape, with the far-right AfD's performance set to have significant ramifications for the future of the region and Germany as a whole.