Thousands of protesters have descended on the town of Riesa to disrupt the right-wing Alternative for Germany party’s convention
Thousands of left-wing protesters from across Germany have swarmed to the Saxon town of Riesa in an attempt to derail the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party’s convention, resulting in multiple scuffles with police.
AfD membership has swelled by 50% over during 2024 alone, the party’s spokesperson told Reuters in December.
According to local media, citing the activists ahead of the event on Saturday, a number of groups from Berlin, Leipzig, Dresden, and other cities chartered more than 200 buses to transport demonstrators to Riesa. Yet more have arrived reportedly by train.Tthe authorities and organizers put the number of protesters at around 15,000 in total, according to Die Tageszeitung.
Neuer Blockadeversuch einer weiteren Gruppe auf der Rostocker Straße, diesmal von der Polizei verhindert. #rie1101pic.twitter.com/PMvGTXvXUk
Protesters set up road blockades on key transport arteries around Riesa, with a demonstration also held outside the venue booked for the AfD convention.
Die Polizei in #Riesa hetzt nun auch Hunde auf Menschen, die versuchen friedlich gegen den Parteitag der #AfD zu protestieren.#rie1101#riesa1101#NoAfD
There is a heavy police presence in town, with officers in riot gear with dogs, batons, and pepper spray. Several water cannons as well as mounted officers have also reportedly been seen to the locality. Motorists heading toward Riesa are being stopped and diverted away.
According to Die Tageszeitung, clashes broke out in several areas as police tried to clear sit-in protests, with officers deploying irritant gas and setting dogs on protesters, as seen in some of the videos circulating on social media. Several demonstrators have reportedly been detained.
Ich zähle hier mindestens 150 Straftaten von Links. Nur in diesem Video. Nötigung/ Widerstand gg Vollstreckungsbeamte, Körperverletzung (auch im Versuch) Landfriedensbruch. Also erzählt mir nix mit 33000 Straftaten von rechts in 2024.#Afd#Riesapic.twitter.com/01X8Eodzxx
In a post on X on Saturday afternoon, Saxony police reported that six officers had sustained minor injuries as a result of the unrest.
In a separate message, the authorities confirmed that the planned AfD party convention had begun, at least two hours later than originally scheduled. According to media reports, not all of the delegates have made it to the conference venue.
Addressing those in attendance, the party’s co-chair, Tino Chrupalla, said that people “who threaten [convention] participants or the police, are neither democrats, nor activists, but rather antidemocrats and terrorists,” as quoted by Die Tageszeitung.
Topping the agenda of Saturday’s event is the official nomination of the far-right party’s co-leader, Alice Weidel, as candidate for chancellor in the snap elections slated for February 23.
Last month, a poll by the INSA polling institute commissioned by Bild indicated that Weidel was ahead of her rivals for the chancellorship from other parties, enjoying the support of 24% of respondents. Incumbent Chancellor Olaf Scholz was said to be trailing behind with 15%.
