Party conference of the Alternative for Germany Tens of thousands protest against the AfD in Essen

dpa

29.6.2024 - 13:50

Tens of thousands demonstrate peacefully in Essen against the AfD, which is holding its party conference there.
Tens of thousands demonstrate peacefully in Essen against the AfD, which is holding its party conference there.
Funke Foto Services

Thousands of people march through Essen. They protest peacefully and loudly against the AfD national party conference. Many smaller events are taking place at the same time.

DPA

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  • The AfD is holding its national party conference in Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia.
  • Tens of thousands demonstrate against the party, which is being monitored by the German Office for the Protection of the Constitution as a suspected right-wing extremist organization.
  • There are also clashes between extremists and law enforcement officers.
  • The co-chair of the AfD, Alice Weidel, demands the resignation of the federal government and early elections.

A demonstration of many thousands of people marched loudly and peacefully through the city parallel to the start of the AfD federal party conference in Essen. Around 20,000 people were expected to take part, according to the state Ministry of the Interior on Saturday. There were also other protest events with thousands of people.

It went from the main train station past the AfD conference venue - the Grugahalle - to a trade fair parking lot, where a large event with up to 45,000 expected participants was to take place from midday. Essen's Lord Mayor Thomas Kufen (CDU) and the President of the Synod of the Evangelical Church in Germany, Anna-Nicole Heinrich, also want to speak there. The large demonstration was called for by the action alliance Gemeinsam Laut, which includes several groups such as Aufstehen gegen Rassismus and Essen stellt sich quer.

According to the police, there were several violent incidents and arrests. Some demonstrators wore masks and attacked police officers. Protesters also did not let some journalists through to the hall. Up to 100,000 people from all over Germany and abroad are expected to attend demonstrations and events throughout the weekend, including around 1,000 left-wing extremists. The police have several thousand officers on duty.

Alice Weidel calls for new elections

Meanwhile, AfD chairwoman Alice Weidel opened the federal party conference with a tirade. Germany has "degenerated into a pony farm", said the co-chairwoman in her welcoming speech to more than 550 delegates on Saturday. Addressing the traffic light government, she said: "Dear government, get out at last, clear the way for new elections!"

The co-chair of the AfD, Alice Weidel, wants early elections in Germany.
The co-chair of the AfD, Alice Weidel, wants early elections in Germany.
IMAGO/Revierfoto

The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution is monitoring the AfD as a suspected right-wing extremist - an assessment that was confirmed by the Higher Administrative Court in Münster in May. To the applause of her party colleagues, Weidel scolded: "The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution has itself become an enemy of the constitution and it should be abolished in this form."

The new citizenship law that has just come into force, with shorter deadlines for naturalization, would be revoked by the AfD in the event of government participation, said Weidel. The CDU/CSU has also announced this. The AfD leader said: "Germany will do away with itself if we don't get our act together and finally put an end to this woke hippie madness."