13 Oct 2024 | 10:14 AM UTC
Germany: Counter-protest are likely ahead of planned Alternative fur Deutschland party rally in Gutersloh, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Oct. 13
Activists likely to counter-protest ahead of Alternative fur Deutschland party rally in Gutersloh, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany, Oct. 13.
The right-wing Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) party plans to hold a political rally at Berliner Platz from 14:00 Oct. 13 in Gutersloh, North Rhine-Westphalia. The action will likely prompt counter-protests from anti-fascist activists.
Rally attendees and counter-protesters could likely number in the hundreds. Heightened security is likely near any demonstration, and road closures will prompt localized traffic disruptions. Scuffles between demonstrators and police or between supporters of rival political groupings cannot be ruled out.
Gutersloh is located about 50 km (30 miles) east of Munster.
Avoid all demonstrations or rallies as a standard precaution. Monitor local media for updates. Strictly heed all instructions from law enforcement officers. Immediately leave the area at the first sign that any security disturbance may occur.
A spike in demonstrations denouncing right-wing ideology has accompanied the increasing popularity of the Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) party. Civil society groups have denounced the AfD's nationalist stance and anti-migrant rhetoric, particularly since a media investigation in January revealed the party's support for the deportation of immigrants and their descendants. Additionally, a German court ruled in May that security forces could keep the party under surveillance as a "suspected extremist group," and civil society groups have since increasingly called for the party to be banned under Germany's anti-extremism laws. However, despite widespread protests denouncing the party, the June 6-9 European Parliament elections saw the AfD become the second-biggest party in Germany, beating Chancellor Olaf Scholz's governing coalition. Further demonstrations denouncing the AfD are likely, particularly following court cases or developments in other scandals dogging the party.
