- Hundreds of protesters at AfD election campaign in Gotha
On the occasion of an election campaign event by the AfD in Gotha, hundreds of counter-protesters gathered. Both the event and the counter-protest passed peacefully, a police spokesman said. At its peak, the event, described by organizers as a "summer festival," had between 500 and 600 participants. The police estimated the number of counter-protesters at about 300.
The state's Office for the Protection of the Constitution classifies the Thuringian AfD as securely right-wing extremist and monitors it. During a speech, the leading candidate for the state election on September 1, Björn Höcke, criticized, among other things, the federal government's policy during the corona pandemic. "That was the will of a misguided, misled, crazy political leadership of this republic," Höcke said. During his speech, there were frequent loud whistles and "Nazis out!" chants from the counter-protesters.
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Despite the criticisms during the speech, the AfD event continued without disruption. Subsequently, various political parties organized post-election celebration parties to celebrate their respective results.
