# Immigrant Business Owners in Halle Strike Against Far-Right Political Gains Shopkeepers protest rising anti-immigrant sentiment following the AfD party's significant regional election success. - **Source:** [The Local Germany](https://www.thelocal.de) - **Published:** 2026-11-06 - **Topic:** [politics](https://brifing.si/c/politics) - **Original article:** < https://www.thelocal.de/20261106/today-in-germany-a-roundup-of-the-latest-news-on-friday-147 > - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/a3a6b8df-f8e6-41f1-97d5-930ffd15e0d0 ## Coordinated Strike Action On November 5th, approximately 30 immigrant-owned businesses in Halle, Saxony-Anhalt, staged a one-day strike. Participants closed shops, including restaurants and barbers, marking them with red-and-white tape. The initiative, titled 'Halle Without Us?', aimed to demonstrate the essential economic and social contributions of immigrants to this mid-sized eastern German city. ## Political Climate Shift The protest follows the September state election where the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) secured nearly 44 percent of the vote. The party campaigned on mass deportation pledges and the 'Remigration now!' slogan. This electoral success has created deep uncertainty among foreign residents regarding their future safety and legal status. ## Rising Daily Racism Organizers report that overt racism and physical attacks have increased significantly since the election results. Many business owners expressed fear of retaliation, noting that some customers hold far-right extremist views. Consequently, while 30 shops participated in the strike, many others refrained from joining due to concerns about potential economic repercussions. ## Demographic Context Saxony-Anhalt has faced a shrinking and aging population for decades, losing a quarter of its residents since the 1990 reunification. Regional Greens Party MP Mamad Mohamad warned that the state's infrastructure and economy rely heavily on immigrants. He noted that many residents are now actively planning to leave the region entirely. ## Broader Societal Support Recent polling indicates that while the immigrant community faces hostility, the broader German public supports the right to protest. A DeutschlandTrend survey found that 75 percent of Germans understand the demonstrators' concerns. Additionally, 82 percent believe politicians fail to take the perspectives of young people seriously enough in current policy debates. ## Protest Legitimacy Limits Public opinion remains nuanced regarding protest methods. While 90 percent of respondents view registered demonstrations as a justified political tool, two-thirds oppose road blockades. Furthermore, 95 percent of the population rejects violence against people or property. These figures reflect a society navigating intense political polarization while maintaining a preference for non-violent discourse. ## Infrastructure Water Stress Beyond political unrest, Germany faces environmental challenges from AI-driven data center expansion. Research indicates these facilities consumed 13 billion liters of water for cooling in 2025. Projections suggest this could rise to 27 billion liters by 2030, potentially straining regional water supplies to levels equivalent to the consumption of a large city. ## Regional Health Disparities Demographic shifts are further complicated by regional health inequalities. Life expectancy varies significantly by gender and location, with the widest gaps observed in eastern Germany. Researchers attribute these disparities to differences in income, education, and access to healthcare services, including the density of doctors and travel distances to specialized medical facilities. ## Future Uncertainties The intersection of political instability, demographic decline, and resource management defines Germany's current landscape. As immigrant communities weigh their future in the east, the state must balance economic reliance on foreign labor with the rise of anti-immigrant sentiment. Future developments will depend on how political institutions address these growing societal and environmental pressures. ## Sources covering this story - Source — Germany News Roundup: Protests, Water Stress, and Economic Shifts - https://www.thelocal.de/20261106/today-in-germany-a-roundup-of-the-latest-news-on-friday-147 — - Source — Immigrant Shopkeepers Strike Against Far-Right Rise in Halle - https://www.thelocal.de/20261106/halle-without-us-immigrant-shopkeepers-strike-against-far-right-in-saxony-anhalt — - [Al-Monitor — Immigrant Shopkeepers in Germany Stage Strike Against Far-Right](https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/11/immigrant-shopkeepers-germany-launch-strike-against-far-right) --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._