Tens of thousands of Germans used their mobile phones to form “a sea of light for democracy” in front of the Brandenburg Gate ahead of the upcoming elections.
Gatherings took place across the country in cities such as Berlin and Cologne, with police stating that upwards of 35,000 people turned out in some parts.
It comes after Elon Musk addressed AfD supporters gathered in the eastern city of Halle, saying that their party was “the best hope for the future of Germany.”
The Tesla billionaire sparked controversy after he declared that “there’s too much focus on past guilt (in Germany)” and that “we need to move beyond that”.
His comments come after the 53-year-old was accused of sympathising with Nazis as he touched his heart and then threw his arm out to the side at President Donald Trump’s inauguration, in an action not too dissimilar to the Nazi salute.
AfD is polling at about 20 per cent before Germany’s February 23rd elections, a record for a party that has shattered a decades-old taboo in post-war Germany against supporting the far right.
The mainstream conservative CDU/CSU alliance leads with about 30 per cent, with CDU leader Friedrich Merz the favorite to become chancellor after the elections.
Related: Elon Musk’s interventions may be harming, not helping, far-right AfD – analyst