The far-right Alternative for Germany party released a new campaign poster last week with a slogan promising Islam-free schools beneath a photo of smiling white schoolchildren.

Alternative for Germany, also known as AfD, released the posters in the midst of its election campaign in the southern German state of Bavaria. Recent polls show the party is on track to win the third-largest share of the vote as it saps votes from the traditional conservative party aligned with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

But as AfD rallies voters ahead of Bavarias elections next month, the party is under intense public and political scrutiny for its links to neo-Nazi organizations and role in encouraging far-right riots in recent weeks.

AfDs Bavarian anti-Islam posters have added to the backlash against the party. A German teachers associations called the posters dangerous, and an Austrian member of the European Parliament accused the party of promoting fascist rhetoric and racially segregated schools. A British hate crime monitoring group also denounced the poster, tweeting, Welcome to the new face of fascism.