Thousands of people demonstrated in the eastern German cities of Leipzig and Dresden Saturday against right-wing extremism and for democracy ahead of Sunday's vote for the European Parliament and local elections.
"We want to wake people up to go and vote and give a clear signal for democracy and human rights one day before the European and municipal elections," Irena Rudolph-Kokot, one of the organizers, said.
The organizers in Leipzig put the numbers there at 15,000, while the police estimate was 12,500.
Sandra Hüller, who was nominated for an Oscar this year for her lead role in "Anatomy of a Fall," addressed the Leipzig rally, calling on people to vote.
People should not allow themselves to be infected by the "coarse tone from the right, by the inaccuracy and violence in the language that has the sole aim of creating uncertainty and division," she said.
In central Dresden, a similar rally and subsequent march drew several thousand protestors against right-wing extremism, according to the estimates of organizers and the police.
