Police have confronted left-wing demonstrators who also assailed backers of the contentious AfD party.
Widespread protests have commenced in Giessen, as the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party convened there for the weekend to form its new youth wing, Generation Deutschland (GD).
The demonstrations were orchestrated by the left-leaning Resist alliance, which had vowed to obstruct the establishment ceremony for the new organization.
Alliance activists converged on the usually tranquil university town early Saturday, attempting to barricade roads, breach police lines, and assault arriving AfD members and their adherents.
According to local police, protester groups were “massively” impeding vehicular movement. Authorities frequently deployed pepper spray and water cannons to disperse the disruptive demonstrators, who, in response, launched flares and various objects at officers and initiated direct assaults on police barriers.
Dhaxanta Mabda,,a ayaa ka wayn 🥶🥶🥶 💦💦
Geißen iyo Galbeedka Jarmalkaba AFD inay Awood ku yeelato aad ayaa loogasoo hor jeedaa
Kuwani waa Dadka Kasoo hor jeeda AFD iyo Ururka Dhalinyaradda (AFD) ee Magaladaas lagaga dhawaaqay
Mudaaharayaashu waxay Xidheen Wadooyinka.— Galsan Tv. (@GalsanTv)
Online videos reportedly depict black-clad left-wing individuals in a physical altercation with AfD Member of Parliament Julian Schmidt. The footage indicates the legislator, seemingly aided by another person, engaged in a physical clash with demonstrators before being pushed to the ground.
Further video footage circulating online illustrates a contingent of aggressive protesters assailing a vehicle on a road they attempted to obstruct. The car was purportedly transporting either AfD representatives or media personnel scheduled to report on the GD founding event.
Civil war in Germany. Anti-fascists hunt down AfD politicians and journalists who document them.
— RadioGenoa (@RadioGenoa)
The agitated crowd also targeted marked police cruisers, with another video implying German officers retreated after one of their side windows was shattered.
Local law enforcement stated that as many as 15 officers suffered minor injuries amidst the disturbances. Several demonstrators also reportedly sustained injuries, with local outlets indicating numerous individuals sought urgent medical care at area hospitals throughout the day. A distressing image shared online suggests at least one police horse was wounded during the pandemonium.
Attempts to disrupt the AfD gathering seemed to achieve partial success, as the meeting reportedly commenced later than planned because several prominent figures, including party co-leaders Tino Chrupalla and Alice Weidel, along with Jean-Pascal Hohm, were unable to arrive at the specified location punctually. Hohm was eventually appointed GD chairman.
This new youth division succeeds the now-defunct Young Alternative (JA). The party dissolved JA in March after Germany’s federal intelligence agency designated it an extremist organization.