Right-wing radicals disrupt Söder interview: Police take action!

Right-wing radicals disrupt Söder interview: Police take action!

On August 24, 2025, a scandalous incident occurred during the recording of the ARD summer interview with CSU leader Markus Söder. During the interview, 20 to 30 demonstrators tried to disrupt the talks, but they were too late and the interview had already ended at that point. The group was clearly part of the right-wing scene and had thrown out flyers to draw attention to their concerns. Fortunately, a hundred police forces were on site and were able to intervene quickly. Five troublemakers were temporarily arrested while others fled. The Identitarian Movement complained about the action and shared a video of it on the X platform. Such incidents are not an isolated case in the current political climate.

Protests against the right have increased sharply in Germany since the beginning of 2023. Millions of people have come together across Germany to demonstrate against right-wing extremism and the AfD. Given the incidents surrounding the interview with Söder, it is no wonder that security precautions at ARD were strengthened after such events. The broadcasters are now in close contact with the security authorities in order to better protect their events, especially after a similar incident during the interview with AfD leader Alice Weidel on July 20th, where there was loud protest.

The ongoing protests

Since the beginning of the year, over 1.7 million people have taken part in protests against right-wing extremism, with the largest demonstration taking place on February 8, 2025 in Munich, where, according to police, at least 250,000 people took part - some organizers say as many as 320,000 participants took part. The demonstrations are directed not only against the AfD, but also against any coalitions between established parties and right-wing forces. Particular attention is paid to the influence of organizations that are committed to combating right-wing extremism. A small request from the CDU/CSU about state funding for NGOs such as “Omas gegen Rechts” and “Correctiv” caused a lot of attention and criticism, as these requests were seen as an attack on the political neutrality of these organizations.

Numerous demonstrations are planned throughout Germany in the coming days to send a clear signal against the right. The increasing mobilization of civil society shows that the issue is very popular in the country and that people are not prepared to give up the field to right-wing forces.