Blocks began in the night. Currently, there are about 5,000 protesters in Riesa, where the federal party convention of the AfD is being held today and tomorrow; the police expect the number to double by then. As a result, more than 3,000 police officers are in operation to secure the party convention.
Riesa, a city in Saxony with 29,000 inhabitants, was chosen as the location for the party convention because the AfD received 40 percent of the second votes in the last state election in September. As a result, the protesters have come from far away, mainly from the western part of the republic, such as 200 buses from Göttingen, Aachen, and Gießen.
The arrivals are trying to block streets and intersections. There have already been several confrontations with the police, during which police vehicles were attacked or firecrackers were used. Already in the early morning, water cannons were used, and the police used pepper spray. In total, there are 18 gatherings registered in Riesa, of which 12 are from the Leipzig-based organization “Say it loud”.
The area around the Energiesysteme-Arena, where the party convention is taking place, has been cordoned off and is only accessible after controls, which began at 5 am.
The party convention is primarily for the adoption of the election program. Although the election of Alice Weidel as the AfD’s chancellor candidate, which is also to take place, is a media-effective act, it is not a real effective action – the German electoral law does not have federal, but only state lists, so the federal party convention cannot really nominate candidates.
The originally scheduled start of the party convention at 10 am has been delayed. The live stream of the party convention is still only reporting on the delay.