Massive protest disrupts AfD youth conference in Germany with thousands

On Saturday, a mass protest involving many activists from the radical organization Antifa, which President Donald Trump has designated a domestic terrorist organization, delayed the start of the Generation Deutschland conference of the youth wing of the populist German party Alternative for Germany (AfD).

Between 25,000 and 30,000 protesters opposed the AfD youth congress in the central German city of Giessen, mobilizing the largest police contingent in the history of the state of Hessen (6,000 officers).

AfD co-leader Alice Weidel attacked demonstrators at the city’s convention center. “What is being done there – dear leftists, dear extremists, you have to look at yourselves – is a deeply undemocratic thing.”

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Police said officers used pepper spray after rocks were thrown at them at one point, according to the Associated Press. They also used water cannon to clear a blockade of about 2,000 protesters who ignored calls to leave. They did it again Saturday afternoon as a group tried to negotiate barriers to the city’s convention center. Police said some 6,000 officers were deployed and 10 to 15 people suffered minor injuries.

Richard Grenell, the former US ambassador to Germany during the first administration, had warned X of 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 US left, they will encourage deadly violence and also lose popular support and elections. But they will fail to see the error of their ways because the German left gets so much support from the media in Germany. It is also publicly funded. The conservative media is small and shy but growing rapidly.”

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Boris Rhein, governor of the Christian Democratic Union of the state of Hesse, criticized the attacks on the police and the attempt to undermine AfD youth activity. “Attempts to disrupt meetings through the use of violence and marches can never be a democratic tool,” Rhein said.

The AfD achieved an impressive second election result in February, receiving 20.8% of the vote. However, mainstream German parties refused to form a coalition due to the AfD’s extremist views.

Two demonstrators jump over the barrier as water cannons are sprayed. Thousands of demonstrators protested the establishment of a new AfD youth organization on Saturday. Its predecessor, Junge Alternative, which was classified as far-right, dissolved itself. (Hannes P. Albert/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)

The youth wing of the AfD elected 28-year-old Jean-Pascal Hohm as its president. A local intelligence report quoted him as expressing anti-immigrant and nationalist views, according to an article in German newspaper Die Welt. “We will fight determinedly 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. he said.

The formation of Generation Deutschland comes as Germany’s federal intelligence agency classifies the previous AfD youth wing, Young Alternative, as an “extremist organization” in 2023, leading to its dissolution.

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The AfD portrays itself as an anti-establishment force at a time when trust in politicians is declining. It entered the national parliament for the first time in 2017, following the arrival of large numbers of immigrants in the mid-2010s. Blocking immigration remains its central theme, but it has also demonstrated an ability to exploit discontent on other issues. This was reflected in the leaders’ confident tone on Saturday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.