AfD opens annual conference in Erfurt amid thousands of protests

Around 15,000 people gathered in Erfurt, Thuringia, to block roads and demonstrate against the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) as the party opened its annual conference on July 4‑5, 2026. Police deployed riot units and reinforced the area, citing security concerns.

Inside the convention centre, AfD co‑leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla were re‑elected, reaffirming the party’s leadership ahead of state elections in Saxony‑Anhalt (Sept 6) and Mecklenburg‑Vorpommern (Sept 20). The conference was marked by nationalist slogans and a song urging “send them back,” underscoring the party’s focus on immigration.

The venue also carries historical weight: it hosted the NSDAP’s first congress on July 4‑6, 1926, a centennial that commentators linked to the AfD’s current radicalisation trajectory.