The congress of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) youth organization in Giessen, western Germany, began two hours late. The work was supposed to start at 10:00 but was postponed to 12:00 due to the weather protests by thousands of demonstrators against the far-right formation.
“You are the next generation of our party,” said Alice Weidel, co-president of the AfD, opening the meeting in front of a thousand delegates. The congress must formalize the birth of a new AfD youth movement, after the previous ‘Young Alternative’ had been dissolved in March by the German authorities for “right-wing extremism”. Members will have to decide on the name, whether ‘Generation Germany’ or ‘Young Germany’, and approve the logo, a coat of arms with an eaglea cross and the national colors of Germany: black, red and gold.
Demonstrations against the AfD were organized throughout Germany and especially in Giessen where a grand security plan was put in place, the most important ever seen in Hesse: approximately 6 thousand soldiers deployed, supported by vehicles with water cannons, helicopters and drones. One of the protest organizations, ‘Resist’, announced that over 15 thousand people blocked access to various routes to the assembly.
A deputy was attacked
The co-president of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, Alice Weidel, denounced that the AfD MP Julian Schmidt he was beaten upon his arrival in the hall where the political organization is re-establishing its youth group.
“One of our deputies was injured, Julian Schmidt, who was beaten today,” Weidel said from the podium from which she spoke before voting began on initiatives related to the AfD’s new youth organization, following the dissolution of the “Young Alternative” last March.
“Julian, I wish you a speedy recovery”added Weidel, also co-leader of the AfD parliamentary group in the lower house of parliament or “Bundestag”, amid applause, addressing Schmidt, who was in the room.
According to the Bild newspaper, Schmidt was attacked while he was 800 meters from the Giessen hall where the re-foundation congress of the AfD youth organization is being held. The digital edition of the weekly magazine Focus reported images of a video in which, presumably, Schmidt, 35 years old and deputy of the constituency of Marburg (west), confronted a group of people with their faces covered. With one of them, Schmidt tried to exchange a few blows before falling to the ground and quickly getting up.