The German police are preparing with a large contingent this weekend for the expected mass protests against the 15th AfD federal party conference in Essen. A maximum of 100,000 people could participate. The first operations and clashes have already taken place.
Left-wing groups had already announced in advance that they would block access to the party conference grounds from the morning hours, thus blocking the path of about 600 delegates. So it was: the first protest marches started shortly after 8 a.m. on Saturday.
400 AfD politicians are expected
The police made it clear that they would not tolerate a blockade of the party conference, which was due to begin at 10:00 in the Grugahalle on the Messeplatz, and wanted it to proceed undisturbed. However, some party members were forcibly prevented from arriving, so that opening speaker Alice Weidel did not take the podium until 10:28.
Some 400 partygoers are expected at the event, who will be served meatballs in a bun (four euros), buttered pretzels (3.5 euros) and cake (4 euros), according to ‘Bild’.
Festive atmosphere and peaceful protest on Friday
A protest camp was set up, rave participants marched through the city centre yesterday and demonstrated before the party congress started.
Pepper spray and water cannons
But on Saturday morning the mood was more intense and the manager had to intervene in the morning hours and use pepper spray, batons and water cannons against demo participants (see video above).
There were the first arrests of masked people. (Peaceful) naked protesters were spotted and since around 11:00 hrs 20,000 people were said to be on their way to the location in a protest march.
A total of 100,000 demonstrators are expected, including 1,000 left-wing extremists.
Source: Krone
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