Saturday, June 29, 2024, 12:44
Protesters and German police officers engaged in sporadic clashes in the early hours of this Saturday in the city of Essen, in the east of the country, the scene of the congress that the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) will hold this weekend.
There, the two co-leaders of the party, Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, will seek re-election at the head of the party to champion it in the face of the legislative elections in autumn next year.
A large group of protesters tried to break through the police cordon at around 5.45am and the security forces responded with charges and tear gas. The number of injured is not yet known.
Authorities expect more than 100,000 demonstrators to flock to Essen to protest against the AfD and join groups trying to block the entry of the 600 or so delegates to the Grugahalle sports hall.
Some of the first to arrive, such as deputies Markus Frohnmaier or Beatrix von Storch, have literally had to jump over police barriers to enter the premises.
peaceful sittings
The Essen police have reported in the last few hours that the situation has calmed down and that the vast majority of those protesting are maintaining their peaceful sit-ins in front of the pavilion, according to ‘Der Spiegel’, but they are also warning of the presence of hidden extremist elements that could disrupt the protest.
“Some demonstrators were wearing masks and attacked police officers,” the Essen police said in a separate statement reported by DPA, recommending that other demonstrators stay away from “violent and disruptive actions.”
An initial demonstration was held this Friday night, and much larger protests are expected later today, including a march starting from the city’s central railway station.
Essen tried for months to prevent the AfD from holding its two-day party conference there, but ultimately failed in court.
Another major topic at the far-right congress is likely to be the party’s second-place finish in Germany in the European Parliament elections earlier this month, in which the AfD won seats but fewer than pre-election polls had suggested.
Maximilian Krah
The latter stages of the campaign were overshadowed by the way the party treated its leading candidate, Maximilian Krah, who became embroiled in accusations of foreign influence buying.
Krah also made controversial statements to an Italian newspaper defending members of the Nazi paramilitary SS militia, in which he stated that not all of its members had been criminals. Consequently, the AfD was expelled from the Identity and Democracy Group of the European Parliament, also of far-right ideology.
#Police #protesters #clash #start #congress #German #farright #party #AfD #Basque #Journal