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The 50 delegates of the AfD youth have founded their regional association in Hesse. Meanwhile, around 1,000 people have gathered for the AfD opponents' democracy festival in Johannesberg.
+++ 3:55 p.m.: While the AfD delegates are still meeting in the community center, the counter-event in Johannesberg has at least officially ended. The police speak of a peaceful event – apart from the brief arrest of the YouTuber, in which a police officer was very slightly injured. A medium three-digit number of emergency services ensured security on site.
Peaceful event: Police take stock of the counter-demonstration in Fulda
During the rally in Johannesberg, people repeatedly gathered at the barriers in front of the community center and chanted against the AfD and fascism. However, this could not be heard in the building itself, reports a reporter who was present at the AfD meeting. Jean-Pascal Hohm, federal chairman of “Generation Germany,” told the Fuldaer Zeitung that he considers the protests against his party to be legitimate as long as they are peaceful. He added: “You don’t have to agree with the AfD, but it is also important that no attempt is made to prevent a democratic assembly.”
One of the approximately 1,000 participants in the counter-rally was Helmut Schmidt from Bad Wildungen, who, according to his own statement, was a former classmate of District President Walter Lübcke, who was murdered in 2017. He told the Fulda newspaper: “The party that is founding a state youth organization here today is dividing our society.” He couldn't remember a party in the last 70 years having led to such a rift in society. A participant from Fulda, who did not want to give his name, added how important it was – especially in view of the results of past elections in which the AfD made strong gains – to stand up for diversity and freedom.
Fulda's mayor Heiko Wingenfeld was also on site in Johannesberg. In a democracy you have to accept that there are opinions that you may not agree with. It was important to him this Saturday to see for himself on site. Wingenfeld was pleased that everything remained peaceful in Johannesberg, “that is not always a given at the moment”. He was pleased that so many people came, but at the same time – considering that only one in two people voted in the local elections in Hesse – he wanted democracy to be more lively.
AfD delegates elect Nafiur Rahman as state chairman
+++ 12.59 p.m.: The delegates at the founding meeting elected 27-year-old Nafiur Rahman as chairman of the new Hessian state association of the AfD youth. Rahman was the only candidate and was elected with 47 yes votes. Rahman said: “I will not allow this country to lose faith in itself.” Germany will flourish again. He got a standing ovation.
The 27-year-old Rahman is an engineer from Bad Vilbel and works part-time for the Fulda AfD member of the Bundestag Pierre Lamely. The delegates elected Pascal Schleich as Rahman's deputy with 27 votes, while his opponent Dominik Asch received 22 votes.
+++ 12.22 p.m.: When asked, the police draw an initial interim assessment and correct the previously estimated number of participants in the demonstration slightly downwards. Around 500 participants took part in the demonstration, and around 1,000 people were now gathered in Johannesberg.
The democracy festival has been largely peaceful so far. According to a reporter on site, the only incident that occurred was when a visitor – according to the reporter's information it was the right-wing streamer “Weichreite” – was excluded from the event. He probably resisted this; photos show him being carried off the premises by several police officers.
The rally on stage was interrupted during the police operation. Andreas Goerke, chairman of “Fulda opposes itself,” then speaks to the demonstrators and visitors to the democracy festival: Society must remain colorful, the AfD and its youth organization are making no contribution to this.
+++ 11.41 a.m.: The AfD state chairman of Hesse, Robert Lambrou, also spoke a word of welcome in the community center. He formulates the state association's expectation: “Be like the AfD Hesse – just a little younger.” Germany is on the brink, the AfD wants to get the country back on track. The firewall must be brought down and the AfD must take government responsibility.
Founding meeting the AfD youth
The Fulda member of the Bundestag and AfD district chairman Pierre Lamely is now also speaking at the founding meeting. He criticizes the organizers of the counter-demonstration, saying that the “so-called broad alliance” is actually a fraud. Behind the association “Fulda stands against” is “the SPD”. The association is “rewarded handsomely with taxpayers' money.” Lamely also emphasized again that that the AfD was the “big election winner” in the local elections in Hesse was two weeks ago.
Meanwhile, there is a lot going on around the community center; the democracy festival, which is organized by an alliance of eight organizations, has also started. The counter-demonstrators are in the center of Johannesberg.
+++ 11.18 a.m.: The demonstration has now arrived in Johannesberg. A small skirmish is said to have occurred on the way when a steward from the demo train tried to push the well-known right-wing streamer “Weichreite” out of the train and into a field. Overall, everything has been going peacefully so far, and families with children are also on site, reports a reporter from Johannesberg.
More and more demonstrators are now gathering in front of the community center, and CDU state parliament member Thomas Hering is also there. And the founding meeting of the AfD youth started in the community center itself. 50 members and 46 guests have gathered. Jean-Pascal Hohm, federal chairman of “Generation Germany” and member of the state parliament in Brandenburg, opens the delegate meeting.
Demo train follows suit Johannesberg
+++ 10.42 a.m.: The demonstration through the Fulda floodplains has now started moving and is on its way to Johannesberg. There are probably around 1,000 participants. Official figures are not yet available. However, the organizers are already positively surprised by the number of participants; they had not expected so many, a person responsible told the Fulda newspaper.
More and more demonstrators are now gathering directly in Johannesberg, standing in front of the community center and chanting “Nazis out”. However, the situation is still calm.
+++ 10.18 a.m.: Meanwhile, the first delegates to the founding meeting have already gathered in the Johannesberg community center. The atmosphere there is relaxed, reports a reporter on site. Around 30 delegates are expected, and the meeting is scheduled to officially start at 11 a.m.
The police are on site with a large contingent in the Fulda district to secure the various events. So far there have only been a few counter-demonstrators on site in Johannesberg; the democracy festival is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m.
Hundreds of participants gather for a demonstration against the AfD in Fulda
+++ 9.52 a.m.: More and more demonstrators are gathering at the parking lot on Olympiastrasse. From here it will close at 10 a.m. in the direction of Johannesberg, where the democracy festival starts at 10.30 a.m. and the founding meeting of the Hessian AfD youth at 11 a.m.
The participants have banners with them, some of which are directed not only against the AfD, but also against the current government. Shortly before the train set off, around 1,000 demonstrators gathered in the parking lot, according to information from a reporter on site. A person in charge of the organization team once again urgently reminds people of all ages that the demonstration should be peaceful.
However, a number of participants covered their faces with masks, scarves or balaclavas. The organizers insist that these be removed before the demonstration can start.
Update from March 28th, 9:21 a.m.: The demonstrators will meet at 10 a.m. at the Aueweiher parking lot on Olympiastrasse. Some members of the Catholic Young Community (KjG) had already met at the cathedral square in Fulda. There they received the blessing from Bishop Michael Gerber before making their way to the meeting point in the Fulda floodplains.
Gerber would even like to join the demonstrators himself – but the approaching Easter prevents him from doing so: “I would like to go, but I still have to prepare a lot for Easter,” the bishop told the Fulda newspaper.
Large demonstration in Fulda
First report from March 28th, 8:50 a.m.: Fulda – Aljoscha Harmsen, press spokesman for the AfD parliamentary group in the Hessian state parliament, assumes that around 30 delegates will gather in the community center in Johannesberg from 11 a.m. today to found the Hesse regional association of the AfD youth organization “Generation Germany”..
The number of counter-demonstrators who want to gather at 10 a.m. at the parking lot at Aueweiher on Olympiastrasse in Fulda in order to move from there to Johannesberg is likely to be significantly larger. A democracy festival will take place there from 10:30 a.m. with stands from various organizations as well as performances by artists and various speeches. The demo and festival initiated an alliance of eight organizations active throughout Hesse.
Because of the expected number of participants – the police assume a “number of up to four digits” – it will There will be traffic restrictions in and around Johannesberg all Saturday. The thoroughfare in Johannesberg has been closed since Friday at 7 p.m. This is expected to remain in place until Saturday evening.
On Friday night, AfD opponents expressed their protest against the youth organization and the planned establishment of the new Hesse state association. They put up a banner in front of the community center in Johannesberg on which they clearly expressed their rejection of the AfD youth. They sprayed the words “Nazis not welcome” in red paint on the courtyard in front of the community center.
They also tampered with the door locks to the community center in order, according to their own statement, to “take away the rooms from the AfD and its youth.” The unknown persons announced this in a report to various media. The police are currently investigating property damage. (Collaboration: Philipp Melchiors)
