Thousands of protesters demonstrated in Erfurt, aiming to block roads and disrupt the AfD conference. The Guardian reported that police deployed thousands of officers, including riot police and reinforcements from across Germany, and that the conference took place on a key Nazi date. GDELT reported that protesters and police clashed during the protests. The Hindu described the AfD as the nation’s largest opposition party and the strongest political force in Germany’s formerly communist east. The SCMP noted that the conference is ahead of regional elections that could see the AfD take power at state level for the first time. Accounts differ on the conference’s frequency: one description calls it an annual congress, while the Guardian and other western sources describe it as a biennial national conference.

Estimates of the protest size vary. One source suggested up to 50,000 demonstrators were expected. The Pakistani outlet reported police estimated around 15,000 participants, a figure also cited by Dawn. Western sources, including the Guardian, reported police counted about 20,000 protesters. Al‑Arabiya noted that up to 2,500 protesters were expected to be prepared for violence.

Separately, DW reported that firefighters were struggling to contain a major blaze in Stuttgart.