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.

"It's good to be proud of German culture, German values, and not to lose that in some sort of multiculturalism that dilutes everything," he said in a virtual visit.

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.