Tens of thousands of far-left protesters clash with police in anti-conservative party riots
On Saturday, over 30,000 far-left protesters gathered in Erfurt, Germany, to demonstrate against the conservative Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Clashes with police occurred, with officers using batons and anti-riot ordnance.
The story so far
- Jul 3
- Jul 4
How outlets cover it
5 outletsNot rated on the left–right scale. It describes Western party politics and doesn’t fit state media or outlets outside that system, so we show ownership and country instead.
Open questions and key claims
Alice Weidel stated that '2026 is a year of destiny for AfD.'
Protesters aim to disrupt the AfD annual conference, with one spokesperson stating, 'We want to make it clear that we simply won’t tolerate this, that fascism is on the rise here in Germany.'
Police estimated around 15,000 people joined demonstrations.
An estimated 20,000 people flocked to Erfurt, in Thuringia state, on Saturday, according to German police.
Opponents of AfD accuse the party of promoting racist and anti-Muslim policies, and are angered by AfD politicians downplaying Nazi crimes.
A police spokesperson told Die Zeit that the demonstration had been “mostly peaceful”.
Police stated over 30,000 people attended the demonstrations.
AfD co-leader Tino Chrupalla criticized the protesters, calling them 'troublemakers' and accusing them of acting anti-democratically.
Who and where
Related stories over time
same people and places- Jul 3 – Jul 4◆ This story
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