Protesters and police clashed on Saturday morning in the western German city of Essen, the site of a two-day party congress of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) that is about to get underway.
Police made several arrests and said some officers were attacked in violent incidents as thousands of protesters tried to block the venue and prevent AfD delegates from arriving.
“Some demonstrators wore masks and attacked police officers,” Essen police said on Saturday. Authorities called on protesters to “stay away from violent actions and troublemakers.”
Several hundred protesters blocked a highway exit and others occupied streets and intersections near the event hall where the congress is being held.
Some 100,000 demonstrators are expected in Essen. Police have deployed thousands of officers and water cannons to keep the demonstrations under control.
Police clashed with a large group of protesters trying to break through a police cordon at around 5:45 am (0345 GMT), a police spokeswoman said.
Officers used pepper spray and batons to stop their advance, she said. Police requested several ambulances, but it was not immediately clear whether any protesters were injured in the clash.
Several AfD politicians from the German parliament said they were picked up by police at their hotel and taken to the location. Some delegates managed to reach the site on foot without being disturbed by demonstrators.
Around 600 AfD delegates are expected to meet in the city’s indoor Grugahalle arena, with current co-leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla seeking re-election ahead of German parliamentary elections in autumn next year.
Authorities have expressed concern that while most of the expected demonstrations were expected to be peaceful, about a thousand left-wing extremists would use violent means to disrupt the congress.
Left-wing groups had indicated in advance that they would block the entrances to the site to prevent AfD deputies from getting through.
An initial demonstration was held on Friday evening, with much larger protests expected throughout the day on Saturday, including a march starting from the city’s central station.
The city of Essen had been trying for months to prevent the AfD from holding the two-day party congress there, but ultimately failed in court.
A key issue for the AfD congress is likely to be the party’s second-place finish in the European Parliament elections earlier this month, in which the party won seats but did less well than pre-election polls had suggested.
The final stages of the campaign were overshadowed by the party’s handling of lead candidate Maximilian Krah, who was embroiled in allegations of buying foreign influence, as well as by controversial comments he made in an Italian newspaper defending members of the Nazi SS paramilitaries.
The AfD was expelled from the Identity and Democracy faction in the European Parliament in response to Krah’s comments. He said that not all members of the German SS during the war were criminals.
