Police in the central German city of Giessen are preparing one of the largest security operations in recent years ahead of the founding congress of the AfD’s new youth organisation this weekend. Authorities say between 5,000 and 6,000 officers will be deployed in the city of 90,000 residents—an “extraordinary” mobilisation, according to Torsten Krückemeier, head of the Central Hessian Police.
Around 57,000 protesters are expected to arrive from across Germany, with more than twenty demonstrations registered, including a 30,000-strong rally. The far-left alliance Widersetzen has urged activists to block access routes to the Hessenhallen exhibition centre, where about 1,000 participants are expected for the AfD youth gathering itself.
The city plans to seal off the entire area around the venue and relocate counter-demonstrations to the opposite bank of the River Lahn, citing police concerns about bottlenecks and evacuation routes in the narrow streets.
Federal Police and units from several states will reinforce the operation, placing it among the most significant political deployments in the region for years. By comparison, the AfD’s federal party conference in Riesa earlier this year required roughly 3,800 officers, May Day protests in Berlin in 2017 around 6,000, and the G20 summit in Hamburg that same year some 31,000.
