Violent protests erupt as the AfD Youth Conference begins in Gießen
A founding conference for members of the youth wing of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party sparked widespread protests in Gießen, Hesse, where demonstrators attempted to prevent the event from taking place and disrupt traffic throughout the city on Saturday.
The police reported early clashes with protesters who set up barricades, including the use of a bus to block a major roundabout, causing severe traffic disruptions. Pepper spray was used after stones were thrown at officers in the morning hours.
Some groups aimed to prevent AfD members from entering the conference hall, leading to a delay in the start of the event. Authorities described the situation as "active in several different locations," affecting highways and main streets throughout the city.
The new youth organization, likely to be called Generation Germany, will be led by Jan-Pascal Hom. German intelligence agencies in Brandenburg, where Hom works as a state representative, classify him as a "confirmed right-wing extremist," raising security concerns.
The Interior Minister of Hesse, Roman Posek, warned of a "difficult large-scale situation," as several thousand police officers from all sixteen German states and federal forces have been deployed. Protest organizers claim that city authorities separated democratic protesters from the fascist gathering on both sides of the Lahn River.