Key facts
- Approximately 20,000 people protested against the far-right AfD party's annual conference in Erfurt, Germany.
- Protesters blocked roads and tram lines around the city.
- An AfD constituency office and police officers were attacked with paint bombs and fireworks.
- AfD leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla are expected to be re-elected.
- The AfD hopes to leverage growing support in national polls for upcoming regional elections.
Around 20,000 people marched in Erfurt, Germany, to protest the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party's annual conference. Antifascist protesters blocked roads and tram lines, with riot police monitoring the situation. A spokesperson for the anti-AfD group Widersetzen stated their aim for a society based on solidarity. Thüringen police deemed the protest legitimate but reported that an AfD constituency office and police officers were attacked with paint bombs and fireworks. The conference commenced as scheduled. AfD co-leaders Tino Chrupalla and Alice Weidel are expected to be re-elected ahead of regional elections in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where the party hopes to build on growing national support, with recent polls placing the AfD at up to 29% compared to 22% for Chancellor Friedrich Merz's CDU/CSU group.