Erfurt, GermanyAP —
Thousands of protesters aimed to disrupt the national convention of Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany party on Saturday, with some clashing with police in riot gear outside the meeting.
Alternative for Germany, or AfD, is meeting in the eastern city of Erfurt to elect its leaders, which German parties do every two years. The party seeks to show unity while extending the terms of leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, who have run the party together for four years.
The demonstrations outside the convention reflect how AfD has divided Germany even as it is the nation’s biggest opposition party nationally.
The weekend convention has drawn additional controversy by coinciding with the 100-year anniversary of a Nazi Party meeting held nearby that consolidated Adolf Hitler’s power over the fascist movement. Historians and political opponents say the timing carries powerful symbolism, an accusation the AfD rejects.
