Riot police clashed with protesters opposing the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party on the streets of Erfurt, Germany. Thousands of demonstrators gathered to block roads and prevent AfD delegates from attending the party’s biennial national conference, where leadership elections were taking place.
Police reported that 20,000 protesters were demonstrating in the eastern city. Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla are expected to be re-elected as the party’s co-leaders ahead of key regional elections, where the AfD could win state-level power for the first time.
The AfD held its conference on the 100th anniversary of a Nazi party meeting in nearby Weimar, where Adolf Hitler introduced the Hitler salute. Protesters, led by the “Resistance” alliance, staged sit-in blockades in the city center to stop the AfD’s roughly 600 delegates from reaching the conference grounds. Some protesters abseiled from a motorway bridge, while others glued themselves to tram tracks to cause disruption.
Thousands of police were deployed to the city. Some officers were filmed using batons on protesters who ran toward them, while others struggled to hold back crowds. However, a police spokesperson told Die Zeit that the demonstration had been “mostly peaceful,” adding that fewer than 100 offenses had been recorded so far, many involving property damage from graffiti.
Despite the protesters’ efforts, an AfD spokesperson told reporters that 540 delegates had managed to reach the conference center before 5 a.m., and the congress started on time.
The AfD’s decision to hold its conference on the 100th anniversary of a Nazi party meeting in Weimar—where Adolf Hitler unveiled the Hitler Youth movement and introduced the Hitler salute—has sparked outrage in Germany. Historians and politicians say the timing is a deliberate provocation, but the AfD denies this, calling its critics “clearly only interested in the compulsive weaponisation of history.”
Opponents of the AfD accuse the party of promoting racist and anti-Muslim policies and are angered by AfD politicians downplaying Nazi crimes.
Protesters in Erfurt included federal environment minister Carsten Schneider and Thuringia’s interior minister Georg Maier, who joined a second demonstration march organized by the Standing Together alliance. There, the “Grandmas Against the Right” waved homemade signs.
“It’s important to send a signal against the shift to the right,” said Lene Krug, a 19-year-old protester from Gera, east of Erfurt, speaking to Agence France-Presse. “The AfD is an anti-democratic party that spreads hate.”
Another protester, who was among those who glued themselves to tram tracks in a city square, told AFP: “1933 to 1945 must never happen again,” referring to the Nazi era. Ella, 44, who only gave her first name, added: “The democratic parties need to understand that they must impose a ban [on the AfD].”
In his opening speech, Chrupalla accused demonstrators of protesting “against democratic decision-making.” He said: “They believe they have a monopoly on democracy. To these demonstrators I say: this democracy is just as much our democracy as it is yours.”According to Die Zeit, he added that holding party conferences is a “guaranteed right.” He said, “These troublemakers are the last line of defense for our political competition.”
He then urged supporters to help his party win an absolute majority in the Saxony-Anhalt state elections. “That would send the right message to the democracy-haters who tried to stop our party conference,” he said.
Describing his joint leadership with Weidel as “a successful duo that German politics has rarely seen,” he added: “We stand for unity, not division.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about the clashes between German riot police and protesters at the AfD party conference written in a natural tone
General Background Questions
Q What happened at the AfD conference
A Protesters tried to block the entrance to a conference held by the farright Alternative for Germany party German riot police used force to clear the way so delegates could enter the building
Q Why were people protesting the AfD conference
A Many people see the AfD as a farright extremist party Protesters believe the partys policies threaten democracy immigrants and minority groups so they wanted to stop the conference from happening
Q Where did this clash happen
A It happened in the city of Essen Germany in June 2024
Q Was the conference actually canceled
A No Despite the protests and clashes the conference went ahead as planned
Police Protest Actions
Q What did the riot police do
A Police used batons pepper spray and water cannons to push protesters back and create a corridor for delegates to walk through to the conference center
Q Did the protesters use violence
A While most protesters were peaceful some threw bottles stones and fireworks at the police Police also reported that some protesters tried to break through barriers
Q Were any people hurt
A Yes Several police officers and protesters were injured mostly from the physical clashes pepper spray and baton strikes Dozens of people were arrested
Q Why didnt police just let the protesters block the road
A In Germany the right to peacefully assemble is protected but so is the right to hold a political conference Police have a duty to ensure public order and allow legal events to take place even if they are controversial
Legal Political Context
Q Is the AfD banned in Germany
A No it is not banned However intelligence agencies in several German states have officially classified the AfD as a suspected extremist group which allows them to monitor the party
Q Is it illegal to block a political partys conference
