- Approximately 400 protesters coexisted with the ongoing parliamentary voting process
Around 400 people turned up to voice their opposition towards the growing influence of the AfD during the Thuringian state vote outside the parliament building in Erfurt, as per police records. This was a noticeably smaller crowd than the number of attendees the event organizers had anticipated. Protesters, carrying banners with messages like "No to Nazi-like ideals," gathered near the heavily secured parliament building.
Law enforcement officers from various German states, such as Hesse and Saxony-Anhalt, were present alongside local police forces in Thuringia to manage the situation. By evening, the event had generally passed without any major disturbances, a representative of the regional police headquarters confirmed. The protests had started even while the polling stations were still operational.
The "On the Places" coalition had registered this demonstration, as per the Erfurt city administration. Its title was "Now more than ever against fascism." A notice for the gathering stated that, in light of the anticipated election results, a strong and united civil society would be required to combat any potential right-wing shift in Thuringia. According to Erfurt city administration, between 1,000 and 2,000 individuals had signed up to attend this protest.
In the lead-up to the election, various gatherings and protests were organized with the intention of discouraging voters from backing the AfD. For instance, a wide-ranging civil society alliance had organized a rally right outside the parliament building precisely one week prior to the election, which was attended by a few thousand people.
As per predictions, the AfD was expected to secure around 32 to 33 percent of the second votes in this election, making it the most powerful political entity in the state. The Thuringian branch of the AfD has been recognized as an established right-wing extremist group by the state's domestic security agency for years.
The following protests against the AfD's influence were extensively documented by the city administration, including the one that garnered between 1,000 and 2,000 sign-ups. In the week preceding the state vote, a large-scale rally was organized, attracting a few thousand individuals, as part of an effort to discourage voters from supporting the AfD.
