Thousands take to the streets chanting 'no to fascism' ahead of AfD's annual conference in Germany

In the city of Erfurt, Germany, thousands of people took to the streets ahead of the party conference of Alternatif für Deutschland (AfD), which is seen as one of the far-right parties. Civil society organizations, unions, and people from different political views virtually turned the city into a fortress before the party's annual general assembly. Demonstrators made a strong stance by blocking main roads and transportation routes before the party's delegation could reach the conference hall.

The main message of the demonstrators was a call for 'no tolerance for fascism' against the rising far-right trends in Germany and the ascent of AfD. The crowd, stating on their banners and slogans that this party poses a threat to German democracy, marched with a quite noisy and determined attitude. Police teams took intensive security measures, cordoning off the area with barriers to prevent the crowd from approaching the hall where the conference would be held.

The protests were not limited to the reaction of the local population but attracted attention as a reflection of the political tension throughout Germany. Despite AfD's rise in recent polls, the organization of such a broadly attended event by opposition groups laid bare the concerns of a large segment of German society. In their speeches, union leaders and civil activists emphasized that democratic values, which are currently upheld, must be protected to prevent Germany from reverting to its Nazi past.

During the development of the events, although the police took care to ensure the demonstrators remained peaceful, the tension in front of the conference hall was higher than in other regions. There was physical contact between demonstrators and the police at some points, and security forces had to take measures such as pepper spray to push back the crowd. However, the general picture was that of an organized mass civil disobedience action that knew its target, and the city center remained under the control of protesters for hours.

Consequently, AfD's meeting in Erfurt turned into a symbolic scene of the polarization in German politics, beyond being just a simple party congress. While delegates attending the conference could enter through police corridors, thousands outside shouted their rejection of the party's policies. This event once again proved the existence of a serious social opposition resisting the normalization of the far right in Germany's political arena.