Thousands Protest in Giessen as AfD Launches New Youth Organization

Thousands of demonstrators converged on the western German city of Giessen on Saturday as the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) prepared to launch its new youth organization at a founding convention. The gathering drew a heavy police presence as protest groups attempted to disrupt road access to the venue.

Clashes were reported early in the morning when groups of protesters blocked or tried to block key routes in and around the city, which has a population of roughly 93,000. Police said officers used pepper spray after stones were thrown at one location, though the extent of injuries remained unclear. Authorities maintained cordons around the convention center to keep demonstrators at a distance while delegates arrived.

The AfD’s new youth group is being established months after the party severed ties with its former youth wing, the Young Alternative. That organization, which operated with broad autonomy and limited direct oversight from the party’s leadership, was formally dissolved at the end of March. The decision followed years of scrutiny from Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, which classified the Young Alternative as a confirmed right-wing extremist group.

The new organization, expected to operate under the name Generation Germany, will be designed to function more closely under the direction of party leadership. AfD representatives say they want a youth structure that aligns more tightly with the party’s messaging and strategic goals.

The launch comes at a moment of significant political momentum for the AfD. The party secured second place in Germany’s national election in February with more than 20 percent of the vote, becoming the largest opposition force in parliament. Recent opinion polls show the AfD continuing to gain support as Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s governing coalition struggles with declining approval ratings.

The domestic intelligence agency also previously classified the AfD itself as a right-wing extremist group, though that designation is currently suspended while the party challenges the ruling in court. The case remains one of the most closely watched political-legal disputes in the country, given the implications for party activities, surveillance rules, and public funding.

Youth wings are a common feature of German political parties and often adopt positions that are more ideologically aggressive than their parent organizations. For the AfD, the creation of a new youth arm marks an attempt to rebuild its outreach among younger voters after years of controversy surrounding its previous organization.

The party continues to frame itself as an anti-establishment voice, a position it has held since entering the national parliament in 2017 following public discontent over high levels of migration in the mid-2010s. While migration remains central to its platform, the AfD has also gained support by tapping into public frustration over economic pressures, energy prices, and political dissatisfaction across several regions.