The far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party held its biennial national conference in Erfurt, Germany, seeking to show unity ahead of September state elections in eastern Germany. In these upcoming regional elections, the party could potentially enter government at the state level for the first time. The event coincided with the 100th anniversary of a Nazi Party congress.
During the congress, the party strengthened its hardline leadership by re-electing co-leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, who ran unopposed to extend their four-year terms. Despite ongoing scrutiny from Germany's domestic intelligence agencies, Alice Weidel stated that the party is ready to govern following strong polling gains.
The conference was met with massive opposition, as an estimated 20,000 protesters from unions, civil society, and left-wing parties flooded the streets of Erfurt. Demonstrators blocked major roads and disrupted public transport in an attempt to prevent delegates from attending the meeting. While Thüringen police described the protests as legitimate, they reported clashes and attacks on police officers and an AfD constituency office involving fireworks and paint bombs.
AfD leadership responded to the disruptions by calling the demonstrators anti-democratic. One party leader claimed that the protesters were acting against democratic decision-making.