In Germany, grassroots initiatives opposing the AfD are often caught in a grey area between tolerance and intolerance. Although they may seem tolerant by not infringing on the party’s basic rights, these responses are often driven by intolerant goals, namely the marginalization of the AfD in the public sphere. The paper examines these ‘borderland’ actions initiated by private actors such as small business owners or cultural organizations. The role of these actors in the defence of democracy and opposition to the far right is understudied. The question is whether borderland initiatives opposing the AfD can effectively diminish the resources of the far-right party. The paper uses a database of responses to the AfD, semi-structured interviews with AfD opponents, and grey literature produced by civil society actors. It argues that borderland responses initiated by private actors are effective for two main reasons. First, the social position of private actors is crucial: although they may seem peripherical in democratic defence, they are numerous, and their actions are challenging the AfD. Second, the nature of borderland initiatives, which are not based on tolerant modes of engagement but are still legal, allows civil society actors to strategically use their rights to affect the resources of the AfD.