A mass protest on Saturday involving many activists from the radical organization Antifa, which President Donald Trump labeled a domestic terrorist organization, delayed the start of a conference for the right-wing populist German youth wing Alternative for Germany (AfD), called Generation Deutschland.
Between 25,000 and 30,000 demonstrators turned out against the AfD youth convention in the central German city of Giessen, leading to the largest police contingent (6,000 officers) in the history of the state of Hesse.
AfD co-leader Alice Weidel shot at protesters at the city’s convention center. “What is being done out there – dear leftists, dear extremists, you have to look at yourselves – is something that is deeply undemocratic.”
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Two demonstrators jump over a guardrail as a water cannon is deployed. Several thousand demonstrators protested on Saturday against the establishment of a new AfD youth organization. Its predecessor, Junge Alternative, which was classified as right-wing extremist, had dissolved itself. (Hannes P. Albert/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)
According to the Associated Press, officers used pepper spray after rocks were thrown at them at one location, police said. They also used water cannons to clear a blockade of about 2,000 protesters after they ignored calls to leave. They did it again on Saturday afternoon when a group tried to break barriers towards the city’s convention center. According to the police, around 6,000 officers were deployed and 10 to 15 were slightly injured.
The former US ambassador to Germany during the first administration, Richard Grenell, warned on X about the dangers of the anti-democratic left in the Federal Republic of Germany. He wrote: “The intolerant and violent left is gaining ground in Germany. If they follow the left in the US, they will promote deadly violence and lose public support – and elections – at the same time. But they will not see the errors of their actions, because the German left gets a lot of support from the media in Germany. It is also funded by the government. The conservative media is small and timid – but growing fast.”
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Boris Rhein, the governor of the Christian Democratic Union of Hesse state, criticized the attacks on police and the attempt to torpedo the AfD youth event. “The use of force and attempts to prevent gatherings through marches can never be democratic means,” Rhein said.
The AfD scored an impressive election result in second place in February, winning 20.8% of the vote. However, mainstream German parties refused to form a coalition with the AfD due to what they said were extremist positions.
Two demonstrators jump over a guardrail as a water cannon is deployed. Several thousand demonstrators protested on Saturday against the establishment of a new AfD youth organization. Its predecessor, Junge Alternative, which was classified as right-wing extremist, had dissolved itself. (Hannes P. Albert/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)
The AfD’s youth wing has elected 28-year-old Jean-Pascal Hohm as chairman. According to an article in the German newspaper Die Welt, a local intelligence report quoted him as expressing anti-immigrant and nationalist views. “We will fight resolutely for a real change in migration policy that will ensure that Germany remains the homeland of Germans,” Hohm said at the start of the conference.
The creation of Generation Deutschland took place after the German Federal Intelligence Service classified the previous AfD youth wing, Young Alternative, as an “extremist organization” in 2023, prompting the organization to be disbanded.
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The AfD portrays itself as an anti-establishment force at a time of little trust in politicians. It first entered the national parliament in 2017, following the arrival of large numbers of migrants in the mid-2010s. Curbing migration remains its signature theme, but the country has shown a knack for capitalizing on dissatisfaction on other issues as well. This was reflected in the confident tone of the leaders on Saturday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
