On Saturday, massive protests erupted in Germany against the far-right AfD party’s new youth wing, “Generation Germany.” The demonstration took place in the city of Giessen, near Frankfurt. Around 25,000 people took to the streets. An event was held in Giessen to mark the launch of the AfD’s youth wing. Protesters shouted slogans and blew whistles and drums outside the venue. Police deployed 5,000 personnel to control the situation. Stone-throwing also occurred, injuring several police officers. Police even used water cannons and pepper spray to disperse the crowd. The primary reason for opposition to the AfD’s new youth wing in Germany is the fear of a revival of Nazi-era thinking. Protesters say they will not allow Hitler-like ideologies to gain a foothold in the country in any form. Photos of a protest against the AfD youth wing… The AfD had to dissolve its old youth wing. The AfD formed a new youth wing because its former youth organization, Junge Alternative (JA), was declared extremist by German intelligence agencies. This forced its dissolution this year. JA faced allegations of racist slogans and links to groups with Nazi ideology. Germany’s domestic security agency also designated the AfD as a right-wing extremist organization in May, sparking calls for its ban. The party has challenged this decision in court. German Chancellor Friedrich Mertz has opposed the idea of banning the AfD entirely, stating that 10 million AfD voters cannot be banned. The AfD is very popular among young people. AfD leader Alice Weidel is known for her strong stance on the issue of migration. Weidel described protesters opposing the youth wing as anarchists. Her agenda is to reduce visas to migrants and reconsider relations with the European Union. Another senior party leader, Tino Krupalla, said the new youth wing would learn from past mistakes.
