Protesters in Berlin gathered outside CDU headquarters.Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Germany on Thursday to protest the conservative Christian Democratic Union and Christian Social Union parties.

Thousands of people gathered in front of the headquarters of Germany's Christian Democrats (CDU) in Berlin on Thursday evening after it relied on the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) to pass a divisive motion in parliament the day before.

Protesters in Germany on Thursday rallied against the conservative CDU party to decry its cooperation with the far-right AfD in pushing through parliament a motion to demand a crackdown on immigration.

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has issued rare public criticism of her successor as the country’s center-right leader, the front-runner in Germany’s election next month, for putting to parliament proposals for tough new migration rules that only passed with the help of a far-right party.

Former German chancellor Angela Merkel has criticized her centre-right Christian Democrats (CDU) for passing a motion in parliament calling for hard-line reforms to migration policy with the support of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).