Thousands demonstrate against the AfD in Riesa. The mood is partly charged, in some places there are sit-ins. The start of the party conference has been significantly delayed.
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(dpa) Thousands of people demonstrated in Riesa, Saxony, against the AfD’s federal party conference. They arrived early in the morning by buses and trains and blocked important access roads. The mood was heated at times, with demonstrators and police confronting each other in many places.
The party conference could not begin at 10 a.m. as planned, but only two hours late. According to their own statements, various members of the Federal Executive Board arrived early without any problems on buses under police escort. Other AfD representatives were stuck in traffic due to blockades. According to party circles, the car of party leader Alice Weidel was also stopped by demonstrators. In Riesa, around 600 delegates want to approve the AfD election program and officially name Weidel as candidate for chancellor.
Tense situation in the morning hours
At times the situation was tense. The police cleared sit-ins in the morning – for example at an intersection leading to the entrance to the B169. She used pepper spray to drive out surrounded police cars. Demonstrators had unscrewed the tire valves of several police cars and police cars were daubed with anti-police slogans. The road was still closed at midday. In some places pyrotechnics flew.
Police and demonstrators clash in Riesa.
Matthias Rietschel / Reuters
In the meantime, things were “dynamic” in the city, said a police spokesman, “especially in the darker morning hours”. Some demonstrators had to be pushed back, and there were occasional attempts to break through barriers. The situation relaxed in the morning. Overall, the police said it remained calm.
By midday, the square in front of the AfD party conference hall in Riesa was filled for a central counter-rally. In sub-zero temperatures and winter weather, chants were heard again and again and live music was played on a stage. Banners and signs can be seen on the square in front of the WT Energiesysteme Arena.
Between 10,000 and 12,000 demonstrators
According to the organizers, people from around 70 cities came to the Elbe city in more than 100 buses. The organizers spoke of 12,000 demonstrators, the police assumed there were around 10,000 throughout the city. The police are on site with a large contingent and are supported by emergency services from several federal states.
A spokeswoman for the organizers, Jana Henker, criticized: “The fact that the police are now acting so repressively against registered demonstrations is unacceptable. These gatherings will have their freedom of assembly severely restricted and access for demonstrators will be blocked.”
A police spokesman said: “We must guarantee the right to freedom of assembly and at the same time the right to hold the event.”
