The top of the demonstrators had already arrived at the destination, because the last had not started running: About 20,000 people have gone on Saturday, according to the organizers against the AfD party in Braunschweig on the street. It was a "huge amount of people," said a spokesman for the Alliance Against Right initiative.
At the congress, the AfD wants to elect a new federal executive. 566 delegates gathered, the outgoing party leader Alexander Gauland gave a speech before them, in which he announced a "solidary generational change".
Former chairman Jörg Meuthen is standing for re-election and reiterated the party's demarcation to the right wing and radical circles. "We need this firewall to the right," said Meuthen.
Last week, anti-Semite Wolfgang Gedeon announced his candidacy. He wants to become the head of the AfD and thus succeed Gauland.
Peaceful course of the rally
A police spokesman spoke of a peaceful course of the rally. The police did not want to comment on numbers of participants. It is difficult to estimate the exact numbers, as there have been various actions in different places throughout the day, said the spokesman. He referred to the estimates of the organizers. Already on Friday evening there had been a demonstration with police about 900 participants.
FOCKE STRANGMANN / EPA-EFE / REX
Protesters in front of the Brunswick Castle
The call of the alliance against right Braunschweig was supported by numerous organizations - among other things of rising against racism, the work council of VW Braunschweig, the German trade union federation (DGB) Lower Saxony as well as further trade union organizations, several social federations, organizations of the protestant church, the central council of the Muslims Lower Saxony and the German-Israeli Society, as well as the Greens, the Left Party, several SPD local associations, the Jusos and the Pirate Party. Volkswagen, namesake of the event hall, had also prompted to hang the company name at the hall for the time of the congress.