Tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in the eastern German city of Erfurt on Saturday, blocking major roads and disrupting public transport, but failed to stop the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) from opening its annual party congress.
Issued on: 04/07/2026 - 17:13
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Many delegates arrived at the conference venue before protesters set up blockades, allowing this weekend's two-day meeting to begin on time. Police said around 31,000 people took part in largely peaceful demonstrations, while organisers put the figure at more than 50,000. Protesters blocked roads into the city, with some abseiling from a motorway bridge, while others staged sit-in protests that disrupted bus and tram services. "It's important to send a signal against the shift to the right," said 19-year-old demonstrator Lene Krug. "The AfD is an anti-democratic party that spreads hate." State elections The AfD, which has topped recent national opinion polls, is hoping to make further gains in state elections in eastern Germany later this year. Polls suggest it could win an outright majority in September's election in Saxony-Anhalt. The party came second in last year's national election with 20 percent of the vote, behind Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative CDU/CSU alliance. AfD co-leader Alice Weidel rejected accusations that the party was anti-democratic. "We are the new people's party in Germany," she told delegates.
