Investigations Continue into AfD Party Congress Protests

Thuringian police are still investigating incidents related to the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party congress, which took place in Erfurt over two months ago. As of August 25, 2026, authorities have concluded 72 criminal proceedings and 10 administrative offense cases, forwarding them to prosecutors and other enforcement agencies. The police received a total of 180 criminal complaints and 22 administrative offense reports surrounding the congress held on the first weekend of July. The majority of these were recorded during the three-day event, though some occurred beforehand. Property damage constituted a significant portion of the cases, alongside six instances of resistance against police officers. The investigations also encompass alleged physical assaults on three reporters from the right-wing conservative portal "Apollo News." Police have identified four adult male suspects in these cases, which remain ongoing. Separately, an investigation into an alleged attack on a representative from the right-wing conservative newspaper "Junge Freiheit" is also still with the criminal police. Three suspects are being investigated in this incident, with one identified as a 35-year-old man from North Rhine-Westphalia. Investigators are now considering this case as a potential dangerous bodily harm rather than robbery.