Due to several protests, the start of the AfD party conference in Riesa was delayed by a good two hours. The demonstrators blocked access roads. Party leader Chrupalla expressed clear criticism.
The AfD federal party conference began in Riesa, Saxony, more than two hours late. Due to numerous blockades by counter-demonstrators, the arrival of many of the approximately 600 delegates was delayed.
The two-day meeting was scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. and ended up starting a few minutes after 12 p.m. Party leader Tino Chrupalla called the journey more than difficult.
According to their own statements, various members of the Federal Executive Board arrived early without any problems on buses under police escort. Other AfD representatives experienced major delays because they were stuck in traffic due to blockades. According to party circles, the car of party leader Alice Weidel was also stopped by demonstrators.
Chrupalla made serious accusations against the demonstrators at the opening of the party conference. Anyone who threatens party conference participants and attacks police officers is behaving “like anti-democrats and terrorists,” he said. Chrupalla thanked the security forces for their efforts.
Criticism from Chrupalla
According to the “resist” action alliance, more than 12,000 “people from trade unions, political parties, church choirs, antifa groups, the climate justice movement, migrant organizations and many other groups” blocked the access routes to the venue in the morning. According to their own information, the police assumed there were around 10,000 people in the entire city.
A spokeswoman for “Oppose” described the start of the actions as a “complete success”. She told the AFP news agency: “This is the largest demonstration Riesa has ever seen.” The declared aim of “Oppose” is to organize “mass civil disobedience against the AfD federal party conference”.
Some participants made allegations to the police that they had been prevented from going to the hall and had to demonstrate at a distance from the venue.
“Dynamic” situation in the morning hours
In the meantime, things were “dynamic” in the city, said a police spokesman, “especially in the darker morning hours.” Some demonstrators would have had to be pushed back. There were isolated attempts to break through barriers. The situation relaxed in the morning. Overall, things remained calm, the police said.
She cleared sit-ins – for example at an intersection leading to the entrance to the B169. According to a reporter from the dpa news agency, pepper spray was also used to drive out surrounded police cars. Demonstrators had unscrewed the tire valves of several police cars, and police cars were daubed with anti-police slogans. In some places pyrotechnics flew.
Police support from ten federal states
The Saxon police are on site with several thousand emergency services. According to her own information, she receives support from emergency services from ten federal states and the federal police. The aim was to enable the party congress and peaceful counter-protest to take place, it was said.
In the conference hall, the AfD wants to decide on its program for the federal election on February 23rd in addition to the candidate selection.
