BERLIN (AP) — Thousands of people in the German city of Cologne are demonstrating against Turkey's offensive in northern Syria.

Police said about 5,000 people took part in two marches Saturday organized by left-wing groups and converging on downtown Cologne, the news agency dpa reported. Some carried flags of the Syrian Kurdish force known as the People's Protection Units, or YPG, which Turkey is trying to push back, or placards with slogans such as "No deals with the AKP regime" — a reference to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's party.

Police were out in force amid concerns about possible violence.

Germany is home to both large Turkish and Kurdish communities, and tensions between them have turned violent in the past.