Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of the eastern German city of Erfurt on Saturday as the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) opened its annual party conference, where delegates voted to keep Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla as the party's co-leaders.
Police said around 15,000 people took part in demonstrations across the city, with activists attempting to block roads leading to the conference venue. Officers in riot gear were deployed in large numbers to secure the two-day event and remove some roadblocks.
Weidel won 81% of delegates' votes, while Chrupalla was re-elected with 70%. In their speeches, both leaders said the AfD was ready to govern and criticised Chancellor Friedrich Merz's government over immigration, the economy and what they described as Germany's decline. Weidel renewed calls for stricter deportation policies, while Chrupalla said the party aimed to win power first in the states and later at the national level.
Outside the venue, demonstrators accused the AfD of promoting policies that threaten Germany's democratic order. Protest organisers said the rallies were intended to challenge the party's growing influence ahead of regional elections later this year.
Founded in 2013, the AfD has steadily expanded its support by campaigning on tougher immigration policies and criticism of Germany's political establishment. Recent opinion polls have placed the party ahead of Chancellor Merz's CDU/CSU bloc, although Germany's mainstream parties continue to reject any cooperation with the AfD under the country's long-standing political "firewall." The AfD denies that it poses a threat to Germany's democratic system.
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