Riot police clash with protesters blocking roads at AfD conference in Erfurt

Riot police clashed with demonstrators on the streets of Erfurt as protesters attempted to block roads and prevent delegates from reaching the Alternative für Deutschland party conference. Police reported 20,000 people demonstrating in the eastern German city. The protesters sought to stop approximately 600 delegates from attending the party's biennial national conference.

Conference details The conference is scheduled to elect the party's leadership.

Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla are expected to be re-elected as co-leaders. The elections come ahead of regional votes in which the party could gain state-level power for the first time.

Protest actions Opponents organized under the Resistance alliance staged sit-in blockades in the city center. The blockades aimed to keep delegates from reaching the conference grounds.