Full Breakdown
AfD’s Erfurt Congress Faces Massive Road Blockades and Nationwide Protests
7/5/2026, 8:22:19 PM
The Conference and Road Blockades
On 4 July 2026 the Alternative for Germany (AfD) held its biennial congress in Erfurt, Thuringia. Leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla were re-elected as the party opened amid coordinated road blockades, sit-ins and abseiling actions. Police deployed thousands of officers, including reinforcements, to keep the venue accessible for the 540 delegates who arrived before 05:00 h.
Political Context and Stakes
Founded in 2013, the AfD now commands the second-largest parliamentary group and leads national polls at 29-42 % and up to 41 % in Saxony-Anhalt. The Erfurt meeting precedes state elections in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, which the party hopes will secure its first regional government and a springboard to national power.
Participants and Numbers
Protest estimates diverge: Reuters ~15 000, AP/Al Jazeera ~20 000, Fox News 30 000, police 31 000, organizers 50 000. Police recorded about 100 offences, mainly property damage. All sources agree the demonstration was among the largest in recent German history.
Official Responses
AfD co-leader Chrupalla denounced the blockades as an attempt to monopolise democracy, while Weidel described the event as “the last chance to save our country.” Police described the protest as “mostly peaceful.” The governing coalition reiterated its “firewall” stance, refusing any coalition with the AfD and urging a constitutional ban.
Protesters’ Critique
The anti-fascist umbrella Widersetzen, represented by Georg Becker, Lena Raupach and Noa Sander, warned that “fascism is on the rise” and called for a ban, accusing the AfD of “mass deportations and ethnic cleansing.” Demonstrators also cited the party’s alleged down-playing of Nazi crimes.
On-the-Ground Actions
Protesters glued themselves to tram tracks, sat in rows on highways and abseiled from a motorway bridge. Police used batons, pepper-spray and rubber bullets in isolated clashes; video showed riot-gear officers confronting agitators while many demonstrators carried signs reading “Stop AfD Nazis” and “For Diversity, Against Nazis.”
Conflicting Figures and Gaps
Crowd-size estimates differ by up to a factor of three, and no official tally of injuries or arrests has been released. The effect of the protests on the September state elections remains uncertain.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We want to make it clear that we simply won’t tolerate this, that fascism is on the rise here in Germany,” — Georg Becker, Widersetzen spokesperson
- “There are no peaceful seated blockades. There are no democratic roadblocks. Nor are there any gangs of thugs who deserve the harmless label ‘civil society.’ These troublemakers are the last resort of our political rivals,” — Tino Chrupalla, AfD co-leader
- “The AfD pursues fascist policies – it wants mass deportations and terror on the streets. At the same time, however, it doesn’t solve a single real problem,” — Lena Raupach, widersetzen spokesperson
- “The AfD is an anti-democratic party that spreads hate.” — Lene Krug, 19-year-old demonstrator
Outlook for September Elections
The state polls in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern will test whether the AfD can convert its high polling numbers into a governing mandate. A win could deliver the party’s first regional government, reshaping coalition dynamics and reviving debate over constitutional tools to ban extremist parties.
