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Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party said 'democracy demands' that other parties work with them after strong gains in a recent state election, in which the party fell just three seats short of a majority and is now trying to form a state government. The AfD's rise has intensified debate over the willingness of mainstream parties to cooperate with the far right. Thousands of anti-AfD protesters rallied in Cologne in response to the party's election victory, voicing opposition to any mainstream cooperation with the far-right group and underscoring deep societal divisions over the AfD's growing political power.