German protests target Chancellor Merz and AfD over flag display and policy

On 13 June, demonstrators gathered in Berlin’s Reichstag precinct, with around 2,000 participants demanding Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s resignation and broader political reforms. AfD figures including Beatrix von Storch, Stefan Keuter and Pierre Lamely lifted a large German flag from a balcony, prompting Bundestag police to intervene and request the flag be taken down, citing possible breach of house rules.

Later the same day, a separate rally in Munich’s Freiheit square drew thousands of citizens who also chanted “Merz muss weg”. Protesters invoked the right to display the national flag, criticised the coalition’s policies on EU ties, migration and the economy, and accused mainstream media of biased coverage of anti‑government demonstrations.