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.

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).

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.