The far-right Alternative for Germany party launched its new youth wing, Generation Deutschland, over the weekend, a move that has sparked outrage among the party's opponents. Tens of thousands protested the decision, and their protest led to the postponement of the party's convention
At least 25,000 protesters descended on the central town of Giessen near Frankfurt to oppose the AfD event.
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Protest against the establishment of the new youth wing of Alternative for Germany
(Photo: Hesham Elsherif/Getty Images)
The meeting had been due to start on Saturday at 10:00 am local time but only got underway after noon, accompanied by audible whistles, drums and chants from the protesters outside.
The party's co-leader Alice Weidel condemned those who had caused "chaos" outside and said those gathered in the hall were "the new generations of the party."
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Police line during protest against the establishment of the new youth wing of Alternative for Germany
(Photo: Hesham Elsherif/Getty Images)
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Police use crowd dispersal methods during protest against the establishment of the new youth wing of Alternative for Germany
(Photo: Sascha Schuermann / AFP)
The anti-immigration AfD became Germany's main opposition at February's general election, in which it won a record score of more than 20%, and hopes to make further gains at state elections next year in its eastern heartlands.
The new youth organization will replace the Junge Alternative (JA), which was classified as an extremist group by intelligence services and then disbanded by the AfD earlier this year, pre-empting a possible ban.
The JA had frequently been involved in controversies, including its members using racist chants and holding meetings with neo-Nazis.
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Protest against the establishment of the new youth wing of Alternative for Germany
(Photo: Christian Mang/Reuters)
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Protest against the establishment of the new youth wing of Alternative for Germany
(Photo: Hesham Elsherif/Getty Images)
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Protest against the establishment of the new youth wing of Alternative for Germany continues into the night
(Photo: Hesham Elsherif/Getty Images)
The party's other co-leader Tino Chrupalla admitted in his speech to the hall that the party had "to learn from past mistakes."
Some of those active in the party's previous youth activities had "banged their heads against the wall rather than getting their foot in the door," he said.
'A new Hitler Youth'
Generation Deutschland's first leader will be Jean-Pascal Hohm, 28, an AfD state lawmaker from eastern Germany with long-standing ties to various far-right and ethno-nationalist groups.
He was elected leader by an overwhelming majority, with attendees rising from their seats to applaud him and shout his name.
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Generation Deutschland's first leader will be Jean-Pascal Hohm, 28
(Photo: Thilo Schmuelgen/Reuters)
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Jean-Pascal Hohm, 28, an AfD state lawmaker from eastern Germany with long-standing ties to various far-right and ethno-nationalist groups
(Photo: Martin Meissner/AP)
In his speech to the hall he promised to "fight for a real change in migration policy so that Germany remains the homeland of Germans."
Christopher Tamm, 25, a student and local AfD politician from the eastern state of Brandenburg, said he was "very happy" with how the afternoon went.
Hohm "has all the necessary knowledge and skills" to lead the organization, Tamm told AFP.
Inside the hall, stalls were set up offering the attendees -- overwhelmingly men -- merchandise including protein powder and mugs and T-shirts bearing images of AfD leaders.
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Launch of the youth wing of Alternative for Germany
(Photo: Thilo Schmuelgen/Reuters)
10 View gallery
Launch of the youth wing of Alternative for Germany
(Photo: Thilo Schmuelgen/Reuters)
Outside there were some clashes between police and protesters seeking to block access to the AfD meeting, with police saying several officers were lightly injured.
Other demonstrators flew rainbow flags and held up banners with anti-AfD slogans.
Carsten Kachelmus, a 52-year-old who works in program management, told AFP: "We mustn't allow a new Hitler Youth to be created, especially us with our history here in Germany."
"That's why it's so important for us to show solidarity and to resist."
'Far-right milieu'
In May, Germany's domestic security service declared the AfD as a whole a "right-wing extremist" organization, fueling calls to ban it.
The party has challenged the designation in the courts.
Political observers expect Generation Deutschland to be at least as radical as the JA.
Fabian Virchow, of the University of Duesseldorf, said that "the leading figures come from a far-right milieu, in which former activists from the Identitarian Movement, fraternities, neo-Nazism and ethno-nationalist groups come together."
While the JA operated as a registered association relatively free of the parent party, its successor is set to be more closely integrated into the AfD and subject to its disciplinary structures.
"However, this comes at the cost of the party no longer being able to completely credibly distance itself from the youth organization should it adopt problematic positions."