Tens of thousands of people marched Saturday in Essen, Germany against an ongoing convention by the far-right Alternative for Germany party (AfD). The protest, while largely calm, led to several arrests, and two officers were hospitalized after clashing with demonstrators. The A25 highway was also briefly blocked.
Essen Mayor Thomas Kufen stressed the need for clearer guidelines concerning a party’s selection of a host city for its convention. This comes in the wake of the AfD securing a legal victory over the use of public facilities. More than two weeks ago, a German court ruled in favor of the AfD regarding an administrative contract with the Essen municipality. The agreement initially required the AfD to pledge not to make any criminal statements if granted use of the facility. The court decided to waive this condition given that the AfD has not been declared unconstitutional by Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court.
The Alternative for Germany has become a significant political force, notably coming second in the last European Parliament elections with approximately 15.90% of the vote, trailing only the Christian Democratic Union, which captured around 30%. The party has been part of the German Parliament since 2017 and continues to rise in popularity. There have been ongoing discussions about banning the AfD due to concerns that it poses a threat to Germany’s democracy. The German Federal Youth Association has previously advocated for such a ban, citing the need to confront fascism in Germany.
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