Mass protests in Germany as far-right AfD meets
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• Over 30,000 flood streets, block key routes in Erfurt; heavy police presence seen
• AfD eyes electoral gains in eastern states as national support grows
ERFURT: Tens of thousands of demonstrators flooded the German city of Erfurt on Saturday, blocking major roads and disrupting public transport in a largely peaceful effort to halt a congress of the far-right Alternative for Germany party.
Despite the blockades, many delegates arrived at the conference centre in the early hours, allowing the event to open on time. Inside, the party re-elected co-leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, who have overseen its rise as a national force ahead of crucial state elections.
Police estimated around 31,000 people took part in the demonstrations, while organisers put the number at 50,000 or more. Protesters from unions, civil society groups and left-wing parties flocked from across Germany.
They blocked multiple routes into the eastern city, with some abseiling from a motorway bridge and others staging sit-ins on tram tracks.
“It’s important to send a signal against the shift to the right,” said Lene Krug, 19. “The AfD is an anti-democratic party that spreads hate.”
Another protester, referring to the era of Nazi rule, added, “1933 to 1945 must never happen again. The democratic parties need to understand that they must impose a ban.”
Thousands of police, including reinforcements from across the country, deployed in riot gear. While protests remained largely peaceful, police reported using pepper spray during isolated clashes.
Inside the convention centre, opening speeches mocked the protesters as anti-democratic and revelled in the party’s recent surge. The AfD has climbed near the top of national opinion polls, trailing only Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s centre-right CDU/CSU bloc.
“For this remains our last chance to save our country,” Weidel told the delegates. “More and more people in this country want to support us in the fight against Germany’s decline, in the fight for our fatherland and for our identity.”
Underscoring the party’s hard line on immigration, Weidel stated, “Criminals and illegal migrants have no place in Germany any more. We will deport them rigorously, because our country deserves better.”
Minutes before the convention opened, a song titled “Send them back” played on the media stream.
The conference comes as the AfD eyes power for the first time in upcoming elections in the eastern states of Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
Its strongest support stems from the former communist east, capitalising on voter frustration with economic stagnation and the traditional party system.
Opponents accuse the AfD of promoting racist policies incompatible with Germany’s democratic values. Mainstream parties have maintained a “firewall” strategy, refusing any cooperation to isolate the party from coalition governments.
Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2026
