2024-07-03 14:17:42
The AfD has begun its two-day federal party conference in Essen amid massive counter-protests and high security measures. The approximately 600 delegates arrived at the Grugahalle on Saturday morning.
The AfD has begun its two-day federal party conference in Essen amid massive counter-protests and high security measures. The approximately 600 delegates arrived on Saturday morning at the Grugahalle, which is protected by a large police presence. “We have a right – like all other political parties – to hold a proper party conference,” said party leader Weidel at the start of the party conference.
AfD chairwoman Alice Weidel continued her speech at the party conference with a barrage of insults. Germany has “degenerated into a pony farm,” said the co-chairwoman on Saturday in her welcoming speech to more than 550 delegates. Addressing the traffic light government, she said: “Dear government, get out of here already, clear the way for new elections!”
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution is monitoring the AfD as a suspected case of right-wing extremism – an assessment that the Higher Administrative Court in Münster confirmed in May. Amid applause from her party colleagues, Weidel complained: “The Office for the Protection of the Constitution has itself become an enemy of the constitution, and it should be abolished in this form.”
If the AfD takes part in the government, it will repeal the new citizenship law that has just come into force, with shorter deadlines for naturalization, said Weidel. The Union has also announced this. The AfD leader said: “Germany will abolish itself if we don’t pull our weight and finally put an end to this woke hippie madness.”
The city of Essen had spent months looking for ways to prevent the AfD party conference – but ultimately failed in court. Weidel said: “We are here and we will stay.” Addressing the counter-demonstrators, Weidel quoted the Italian writer Ignazio Silone: ”When fascism returns, it will not say: ‘I am fascism.’ No, it will say: ‘I am anti-fascism.'”
But she also admitted that there were problems in the European election campaign. “It was bumpy, it was a crash,” said Weidel. Nevertheless, the AfD achieved an “excellent result.” Weidel justified the party leadership’s decision to distance itself from scandal-ridden candidates during the election campaign – without explicitly mentioning the names of the two candidates involved, Maximilian Krah and Petr Bystron.
According to police, there were several violent actions and arrests in the run-up to the party conference. Some demonstrators were masked and attacked police officers. Protesters also prevented some journalists from entering the hall. Up to 100,000 people from all over Germany and abroad are expected to attend demonstrations and events over the weekend, including around 1,000 left-wing extremists. The police have several thousand officers on duty. You can find out more about current events at the AfD party conference here.
The agenda of the party conference includes the new election of the federal executive board, with party leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla expected to take place in the afternoon. A motion that proposed abolishing the dual leadership in favor of just one party leader and a newly appointed general secretary had sparked discussions beforehand.