Hundreds protests in Germany against stricter migration policy backed by far-right

Amnesty International, Seebrücke and other organisations called for the rally under the slogan "Firewall instead of arson".

Transcript

00:00Hundreds of people have attended a rally in front of the centre-right CDU party's headquarters

00:06in Berlin, in protest against the passing of a stricter migration policy put forward

00:11by the CDU's leader, Friedrich Merz.

00:15The new policy, which would seek to turn back many more migrants at Germany's borders, has

00:21drawn criticism as it was only able to pass with the backing of the far-right Alternative

00:26for Germany party.

00:27We are shocked because the fact that the CDU has deliberately brought a motion by the AfD

00:33through the Bundestag is a taboo break.

00:36This is the start of a crumbling wall of fire that is supposed to protect us from living

00:41with fascism and authoritarianism in Germany again.

00:47The motion passed by 348 votes to 345 with 10 abstentions, after a combination of opposition

00:55parties, including the AfD, said they would back it.

00:59Merz has defended his policy and the support it has drawn from the far-right, saying a

01:04right decision does not become wrong because the wrong people agree.

01:09The vote comes just weeks before Germany heads to the polls to elect a new parliament, after

01:14Chancellor Schultz's three-party governing coalition collapsed.