German police fear attacks on AfD politicians by left-wing extremists

Brief retelling from RIA II

German law enforcement officers fear attacks on Alternative for Germany (AfD) party politicians during the upcoming congress in Erfurt.

Left-wing extremists call the upcoming AfD congress “Day X” and are preparing for “the largest mobilization in the history of the anti-fascist movement.”

The police intend to direct maximum forces to ensure law and order during the congress.

BERLIN, July 1 - RIA Novosti. German law enforcement officers fear attacks by left-wing extremists on politicians of the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party from the rooftops during the upcoming congress in Erfurt; radicals have already tried similar tactics at the G20 summit in Hamburg in 2017, the Bild newspaper reports.

The AfD congress is scheduled for July 4-5 in Erfurt.

“The police and the State Construction Protection Service ... fear attacks on AfD party politicians and law enforcement officers from rooftops by left-wing extremists,” the publication says.

According to the publication, left-wing extremists call the upcoming AfD congress “Day X” and are preparing for “the largest mobilization in the history of the anti-fascist movement.” For this reason, the police intend to devote the maximum number of forces to maintaining law and order during the congress in Erfurt.

The police do not rule out that “anti-fascist” groups from Italy, France and Switzerland will also arrive in the city to help German left-wing extremists.

It is noted that radicals have already tried similar tactics in 2017 during the G20 summit in Hamburg. Then left-wing extremists from all over Europe destroyed the city quarter of Schanze. The police hesitated to enter the territory for several hours, fearing that firebombs and stones would be thrown at it from the roofs of the houses. The situation was reversed only after the intervention of special forces.

Thuringian police expect more than 50,000 counter-demonstrators, including at least 2,500 violent individuals, to gather in Erfurt during the AfD rally.