Tens of thousands protest AfD party conference in Erfurt, Germany

Key Points:

• Tens of thousands of far-left protesters gathered in Erfurt, Germany, clashing with police during a demonstration against the conservative Alternative for Germany (AfD) party's conference and leadership elections.
• Police reported over 30,000 attendees and described the protests as mostly peaceful despite some confrontations and about 100 recorded law violations, mainly graffiti.
• The AfD re-elected Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla as co-leaders amid the protests, with Chrupalla condemning the demonstrators for anti-democratic tactics and asserting the party's right to participate in democracy.
• Local antifascist group widersetzen openly aimed to block the AfD convention, criticizing the party's policies as fascist and favoring the wealthy over ordinary citizens.
• The AfD, rejecting extremism accusations, has seen significant electoral gains, securing over 20% of the vote in 2025 federal elections and positioning itself as a leading political force in Germany.