AfD Conference in Erfurt: Police Prepare for Up to 50,000 Demonstrators

Erfurt is bracing for a significant security operation as the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party holds its federal conference this weekend. Police anticipate a massive turnout of demonstrators, with estimates ranging up to 50,000 people, primarily peaceful but including a contingent of up to 2,500 deemed potentially violent.

Authorities are implementing extensive measures to manage the situation. Roads leading to the conference venue at the exhibition center will be closed, and nearby businesses, including an IKEA store and a garden exhibition, are preemptively shutting down. Thousands of police officers from across Germany, supported by mounted units and water cannons, will be on duty.

Protest organizers, including the anti-fascist alliance 'Widersetzen,' have declared their intention to prevent the conference through mass civil disobedience. "We will make this party conference a disaster," stated alliance spokesperson Noa Sander, vowing to block all access routes. Their call to protest has garnered support from nearly 200 organizations and individuals.

Alongside numerous demonstrations and a large rally, the weekend's events include church services, concerts by artists like Clueso and Bosse, and a candlelight chain. AfD leader Tino Chrupalla has urged authorities to ensure the safety of the delegates, while Thuringia's Interior Minister Georg Maier has stated that police will intervene if blockades persist, emphasizing the need to protect both protest rights and the AfD's assembly rights.