American tech billionaire Elon Musk made a surprise address at the campaign launch for Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as thousands of people gathered across the country to protest the rise of the far-right party.

Musk's support for AfD has helped what was once a fringe political party enter the mainstream, lifting it up in front of a global audience.

Concerns about Holocaust trivialization and nationalist policies underscore the growing anxiety over the influence of the far-right party, which recently won the endorsement of Elon Musk Strong relations with Israel and a commitment to commemorating the Holocaust have been central tenets in Germany’s identity since the end of the Nazi regime,