Up to 100,000 protesters are expected to arrive in Essen on Saturday as the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) holds a two-day congress to elect its new executive, police in the western German city predicted.
Authorities expressed concerns that, although most of the expected demonstrations would be peaceful, around 1,000 left-wing extremists would use violent means to disrupt the congress.
Around 600 AfD delegates gather in the city’s Grugahalle indoor arena, with current co-leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla seeking re-election ahead of German parliamentary elections in autumn next year. No one came forward to challenge the duo.
Left-wing groups announced that they intend to block the entrances to the site in the morning, with the aim of preventing AfD delegates from passing through. The police have made it clear that this will not be tolerated.
Police were present at the venue where the congress will be held in Essen on Friday and will be deployed again during this period, they said. The main protests are scheduled for Saturday, with a march starting at the central station.
At least 45,000 protesters are expected to gather in a parking lot near the conference site on Saturday afternoon.
An important topic for the congress will be the AfD’s campaign in the European Parliament elections held at the beginning of June, in which the party performed worse than suggested by pre-election polls.
The final stages of the campaign were overshadowed by the party’s handling of the main candidate, Maximilian Krah, his controversial comments about the Nazi era and possible links between his assistant and China.
The AfD was expelled from the Identity and Democracy Group in the European Parliament in response to Krah’s remarks about the German SS during the war.
