Having come in second in the European elections, the German far-right party Alternative for Germany opened its congress this Saturday in Essen under heavy police protection.
ADVERTISEMENTBolstered by the European elections where it came in second place, ahead of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party opened on Saturday in Essen, in the west of the country, its annual conference.
But the police were on the qui-ive while major anti-fascist rallies were announced. German media reports that up to 100,000 people were expected at a series of counter-protests and other events over the weekend.
Early Saturday morning, a group of protesters attempted to break through a barrier leading to the conference but were pushed back by police using pepper spray and batons.
Police also say there have been incidents where masked protesters have attacked officers, leading to arrests.
Faced with this pressure from the street, several AfD politicians claimed to have been escorted by police to the convention venue.
Note that the local authorities tried to prevent this AfD rally, but lost their case.
Police said around 5,000 people attended an anti-AfD rave party on Friday night.
The German party has been enjoying success for several years despite a recent series of scandals which have affected its leaders. The party’s recent performance has boosted the party’s hopes of becoming the frontrunner in the upcoming regional elections.
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