Thousands protest AfD conference in Germany, block roads in Erfurt

Thousands of demonstrators opposed to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party blocked roads and staged protests in the eastern German city of Erfurt on Saturday, July 4, as the party opened its annual conference ahead of key regional elections.

German police estimated that around 20,000 protesters gathered in the Thuringian capital, located about 250 kilometres (155 miles) southwest of Berlin.

Demonstrators from trade unions, civil society organisations, and left-wing parties assembled in the city centre, while authorities reported multiple road blockades.

“We want to make it clear that we simply won’t tolerate this, that fascism is on the rise here in Germany,” Georg Becker, a spokesperson for Widersetzen (“Resist”), an umbrella group coordinating anti-AfD protests, told media.

Police deployed large contingents, including reinforcements from across the country, ahead of the party’s two-day conference. More than 200 buses carrying protesters arrived in the city.

Protesters disrupted access routes into Erfurt, with some demonstrators abseiling from a motorway bridge. 

Despite the disruptions, most AfD delegates were able to reach the conference venue, and party officials said proceedings began on schedule.

The AfD became Germany’s second-largest party in elections last year, marking the strongest performance by a far-right party since World War II.

Recent opinion polls suggest the party has established a clear lead over Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative bloc, driven in part by prolonged economic stagnation. The AfD is widely seen as a contender to take power at the state level for the first time in Saxony-Anhalt, potentially paving the way for further gains nationally.

However, the party remains highly controversial. All mainstream political parties in Germany have ruled out cooperation with the AfD, citing what they describe as “anti-democratic” and “extremist” positions.

Germany’s domestic intelligence agency has monitored the AfD for several years on suspicion of unconstitutional activities.

Protesters in Erfurt have called for the party to be banned.

“The AfD wants mass deportations and ethnic cleansing,” Noa Sander, another spokesperson for the Resist protest alliance, told media, referring to the party’s “remigration” proposals.

“It should be banned. We intend to do this by blockading their party conference and standing in the way of the AfD, its policies and members wherever they appear, making sure they have no place in society,” Sander said.

By Tamilla Hasanova