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Over 10,000 Protest as AfD Unanimously Elects Alice Weidel Chancellor Candidate in Riesa

Jan 11, 2025, 01:14 PM

On January 11, 2025, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party held its federal party conference in Riesa, Saxony, a town of approximately 30,000 residents. The event was met with massive protests, with over 10,000 demonstrators, including Antifa activists, gathering to oppose the AfD. Protesters attempted to block access to the conference venue by blocking roads and staging sit-ins, causing delays of more than two hours to the start of the conference. Alice Weidel's car was reportedly attacked and blocked by protesters en route to the venue. Police intervened to clear the roads, using force and deploying police dogs to disperse the demonstrators. Despite the disruptions, the AfD delegates unanimously elected co-leader Alice Weidel as the party's first-ever chancellor candidate for the upcoming federal elections scheduled for February 23. In her speech, Weidel thanked Elon Musk for livestreaming the conference, emphasizing the importance of freedom of speech. She criticized the protesters as 'red-painted Nazis' and pledged to restore Germany's status by closing the borders, stopping gender policies, halting arms supplies to Kyiv, and achieving peace in Ukraine. The AfD is currently polling in second place behind the CDU/CSU ahead of the elections.