German Police Clash With 20,000 Protesters as AfD Opens Erfurt Congress With 540 Delegates
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 4
German Police Clash With 20,000 Protesters as AfD Opens Erfurt Congress With 540 Delegates
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 4
Summary
20,000 protesters gathered in Erfurt to block roads and stop delegates reaching the AfD’s biennial leadership conference, prompting clashes with riot police deployed across the city.
540 of the party’s roughly 600 delegates reached the venue before 5 a.m., allowing the congress to start on time despite sit-ins, tram-track glueing and motorway-bridge abseiling.
Just under 100 offences had been recorded, mostly graffiti-related property damage, and police said the demonstrations were largely peaceful even as video showed officers using batons and struggling to hold back crowds.
Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla are expected to win re-election as co-leaders ahead of regional votes in eastern Germany where AfD could take state power for the first time.
The conference drew extra outrage because AfD scheduled it on the centenary of a Nazi gathering in nearby Weimar, a link the party denies was a deliberate provocation.
As Germany's most popular party, is the AfD a threat to democracy or a product of its failures?
Could an AfD state victory trigger a constitutional crisis between a German state and the federal government?
With record-high support, can Germany's political 'firewall' against the far-right hold?
AfD’s Rise to 29%: Protests, Extremism Controversy, and the Struggle for Germany’s Future
Overview
On July 4, 2026, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) held a national congress in Erfurt, where hundreds of delegates gathered to vote on party leadership and plan future strategies. Current co-leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla were expected to keep their positions, reaffirming the party’s established direction. The AfD has become Germany’s most popular political party, with recent polls showing 27% to 29% support, surpassing the ruling conservatives. However, the congress faced strong opposition, as thousands of protesters—viewing the AfD as far-right extremists—demonstrated in Erfurt, with some even trying to block access to the venue.