Left-Wing Stalwarts Protest Against Ruling Party Conference In Germany

Posted by African Examiner Europe, Latest Headlines, World News Saturday, April 30th, 2016

Many left-wing demonstrators have attempted to stop a right-wing ruling party conference scheduled to hold in the city of Stuttgart, Germany.
There is a plan by Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) party to re-brand itself as openly anti-Islamic during the meeting.

Already, AfD is planning to outlaw both wearing of burqa and construction of minarets in Germany.

The protesters were surrounded by about 1000 policemen, who fired pepper spray at them.

In spite of the protest, the conference held as planned Saturday morning. The protesters carried items such as sticks and iron bars, placards with different inscriptions as well as engaged in bonfire.

The party must agree at the conference on a manifesto prior to the next year’s general election.

Similarly, the meeting is expected to feature proposals: including withdrawal from the euro and the reintroduction of conscription, yet, there are splits within the party, especially between its less hardline wing and the leadership.
Alexander Gauland while addressing the conference, held that the ruling AfD was a party that has arrived in society and which is “here to stay,” “whether the consensus parties like it or not”.

The demostartors agitated that they were united by their conviction such that they would not let AfD go unchallenged, accusing it of racism as well as engaging in the politics of exclusion and social division.

About 2,000 members of the AfD are registered to attend the conference, while it received support in all three states which took part in the regional elections last week. The party also claimed victory in almost a quarter of the vote in the relatively poor eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt.

The party had campaigned against Chancellor Angela Merkel, describing her decision to accept millions of migrants and refugees in 2015 from Syria and other countries as “catastrophic”.