Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in cities across Germany on Thursday after a controversial motion demanding migration reforms was passed in parliament the previous day with support from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).

Tens of thousands of Germans have protested in Berlin and other cities against the rise of the far-right, anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany party ahead of the Feb. 23 election.

A who's who of German talent signed an open letter calling for political leaders to "uphold democratic values" after a historic vote in the Bundestag that saw anti-immigration proposal pass with the support of the far-right.

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.

The AfD party is polling at about 20% before Germany's February 23 elections, a record for a party. The mainstream conservative CDU/CSU alliance leads with about 30%.

Hundreds of people gathered outside the headquarters of Germany's opposition Christian Democrats (CDU) in Berlin on Wednesday evening to protest against the conservative bloc pushing through a motion to tighten migration policy with the help of votes from the far right.