- Intimidation and Menacing Tactics: Thuringia's Political Crusade
Protestors and barrier methods, later a law enforcement operation featuring batons and pepper spray: In Jena, demonstrators disrupted an election event for the AfD's far-right figurehead, Björn Höcke. Online, Höcke's opponents celebrate the disruptions as a success, while the AfD sees themselves as the victim. In the upcoming week and a half, a new Thuringian state parliament will be elected, and the election campaign has seen heated tensions. For weeks, state politicians have been traveling the region - and encountering protests, counter-protests, or unhappy citizens.
Political Divide in the Campaign
"Democracy needs resilience," reads a Thuringian Green Party campaign poster, while the AfD promotes Höcke's picture wearing sunglasses and the insignia "Almost already impermissibly good." The political divide in this federal state is evident at almost every street corner during this election campaign, culminating in Jena on Tuesday in a demonstration with an estimated 2,000 participants. Some held signs with slogans like "Diversity over simplicity" or "No power to the extremists."
In polls, the Thuringian AfD leads with values around 30 percent. While no other party wishes to join forces with the party classified as securely right-wing extremist by the state constitutional protection office, Höcke's faction could secure up to one-third of the seats in the new parliament and significantly boost its influence.
Consequently, the rhetoric has become more aggressive not only among citizens but also among politicians. CDU nominee Mario Voigt calls Höcke a "self-destructor" for Thuringia. Höcke, in turn, spoke at a rally about wanting to "clobber the CDU," labeling it a "transatlantic vassal party" and a "castrated union."
Tuesday's Incident in Jena
A contentious situation arose in Jena on Tuesday, as per eyewitness accounts, in which Höcke's entourage's vehicle allegedly approached the protesters. The police intervened with batons and forced back the protesters, drawing criticism from, say, the Left's state parliamentarian Katharina König-Preuss. The police are currently investigating potential misconduct. According to the city, sit-in blockades were not authorized.
Anticipated Large Demonstration this Weekend
Thuringia's AFD co-chairman Stefan Möller asserts that the violence stems from the left and that AfD events are being impacted. He criticized the deliberate registration of opposition election campaign events, claiming that it impedes these events from being held.
On the other side, damage to election offices is frequently cited by the Left, most recently afflicting Minister President Bodo Ramelow's office. Following an AfD election campaign event last weekend in Gera, the police are investigating an alleged case of coercion and attempted bodily harm against a freelance journalist. Furthermore, the Hitler salute was allegedly shown.
Threats against Memorial Director
After the director of the Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora memorials, Jens-Christian Wagner, cautioned voters in Thuringia against the AfD, he received death threats. His likeness was plastered on a stele at the Mittelbau-Dora memorial, and an email was sent wishing him death.
Once again, protests against the far-right are planned in various cities in the Free State this weekend. Thousands are expected in Erfurt, among other places. On election day itself, large demonstrations are registered at Erfurt Cathedral Square and in front of the state parliament - also with thousands of expected participants.
Regarding the Jena demo, König-Preuss said that the blockade was an essential sign that "someone finally put a halt to this racism, anti-Semitism, and Höcke's hate speech." "If no action is taken by the state with the means at its disposal, then it's commendable that civil society is taking matters into its own hands."
Jena is known as a hotspot for political tensions during the election campaign, with heated debates and protests occurring frequently. Due to the escalating situation, Jena's demonstrator successfully disrupted an AfD election event, garnering praise from opposition supporters and criticism from the party itself.
