State elections in Saxony and Thuringia in the live ticker: polling stations are open

The end of the Thuringian AfD’s election campaign brought thousands of people onto the streets in Erfurt one day before the state elections. Around 1,300 AfD supporters attended a rally with AfD top candidate Björn Höcke and federal chairwoman Alice Weidel on the cathedral square in the Thuringian state capital. The city’s assembly authority announced this upon request.

Up to 3,000 people protested just 100 meters from the AfD against a shift to the right and right-wing extremism in Thuringia. The police were deployed in large numbers. According to a spokesman, they were supported by officers from Hesse, Lower Saxony, Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. There were no notable incidents during either meeting.

Weidel told the demonstrators, who made themselves known with whistles and chants, that the AfD would “ban Antifa as a terrorist organization” if it came into government. On Sunday, the AfD could make history in Thuringia and Saxony and in a few weeks in Brandenburg if it wins the election, said Weidel. “Let’s make the East blue so that everyone can experience a blue miracle.” AfD supporters repeatedly shouted “East, East, East Germany,” but also “deport, deport.” Höcke accused the other parties of having “lost the people.” The AfD could “make history” on Sunday.

The “Auf die Plätze” alliance was one of those calling for the counter demonstration. The demonstration, which was joined by more and more people, went from the train station to the cathedral square. The demonstrators shouted “Nazis out” and “Höcke out”, among other things. According to the police, several participants in the alliance were masked. This violates the assembly law. Some of those affected took off their masks after speeches. “We will not allow the AfD to dominate the election weekend with its extreme right-wing agitationintimidates people and uses our city as a stage for their propaganda,” the alliance said.