Thuringian police are investigating multiple reports of physical assaults against journalists during protests surrounding the AfD party conference in Erfurt. According to Thuringian Police President Thomas Quittenbaum, three representatives of the news portal Apollo News were physically attacked, and a reporter for the newspaper Junge Freiheit had their mobile phone stolen. Interior Minister Georg Maier (SPD) confirmed that the criminal police have assumed control of the investigations.
What occurred during the protests?
The incidents took place on the sidelines of the AfD party conference, where party leaders Tino Chrupalla and Alice Weidel were re-elected. While police reported the weekend as generally “peaceful” despite the presence of tens of thousands of demonstrators, they confirmed 65 criminal offenses and 13 administrative offenses by Sunday noon. These included cases of property damage, physical assault, and violations of the Assembly Act. Eleven police officers sustained minor injuries during the deployment, according to official police records.
Regarding the attacks on the press, Apollo News editor-in-chief Max Mannhart alleged that his team was chased and beaten by members of an “Antifa” demonstration. He shared video footage on X that appears to show reporters being pursued and verbally harassed by a group of protesters. Police are currently searching for the individuals responsible for the attacks on the Apollo News staff and have identified suspects in the robbery of the Junge Freiheit journalist.
While police estimated that more than 31,000 people participated in the demonstrations against the AfD, the protest alliances “Zusammenstehen” and “Widersetzen” provided an estimate of about 50,000 attendees.
How are the incidents being framed?
The response to the violence reveals a sharp divide in perspective. The alliance “Widersetzen,” a co-organizer of the protests, issued a statement at a press conference on Sunday that appeared to relativize the attacks. A spokesperson for the group stated, “Fascists with a press card are still fascists. They are not welcome at our actions.” Simultaneously, the alliance defended the use of blockades as a form of “civil disobedience” in their effort to hinder the AfD event.
In contrast, political figures from both the Union and the Green Party condemned the violence. Green Party leader Franziska Brantner stated to the Bild newspaper that the party rejects all forms of violence at demonstrations and emphasized that protecting press freedom is an “unnegotiable fundamental right.” Alexander Throm (CDU), the interior policy spokesperson for the Union faction, added that anyone using violence against journalists is attacking democracy itself, characterizing freedom of the press as a “central pillar of a free society.”
The tension between the organizers’ stated goal of preventing the AfD conference and the subsequent criminal investigations highlights a volatile environment for media coverage. When political protest shifts from civil disobedience to physical confrontation, the threshold for protecting democratic norms—such as the freedom of the press—becomes a primary point of contention between activist groups and state authorities.
What is the expected next step for the investigation?
As the criminal police continue their work, the immediate focus remains on identifying and apprehending the remaining suspects involved in the physical assaults. Because the police have already identified some individuals linked to the robbery of the Junge Freiheit reporter, further charges are likely to follow as the evidence from the weekend is processed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is investigating the attacks on the journalists?
The Thuringian criminal police have taken over the investigations into the reported assaults and the robbery, according to Interior Minister Georg Maier.
What were the primary goals of the protesters?
The alliances “Zusammenstehen” and “Widersetzen” aimed to prevent the AfD party conference from taking place. While they acknowledged failing to stop the event, they characterized any instance where they made the path to the conference difficult for AfD members as a “success.”
How did the police characterize the overall weekend?
Despite the reported assaults and the registration of 65 criminal offenses, the Thuringian police issued a positive assessment of the operation, stating that the weekend with tens of thousands of demonstrators had “proceeded peacefully” overall.
How should the line between political protest and the protection of independent media be maintained in future demonstrations?
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