20260709 Staatsgewalt demonstrierte Stärke

On observing the demonstration in Erfurt

... the Fundamental Rights Committee writes to us today that its full report is now available (see link below). The Fundamental Rights Committee concludes that the police used July 4 in Erfurt to stage a show of force for the public. They elevated the far-right party convention to the status of a state event by declaring the access routes to the “protocol route.”
The picture on der left is not from Erfurt but from an anti-AfD demonstration in winter in Berlin

The Fundamental Rights Committee observed that, despite the situation remaining generally calm, the police in many places demonstrated their power through arbitrariness and violence: violence was used for its own sake, and displays of power and harassment were standard tactics employed by the police. Communication or the choice of less severe measures did not seem to be part of their repertoire, particularly among the Thuringian police units deployed around Gothaer Platz. Under the watchful eyes of the press, members of parliament, and demonstration observers from the Fundamental Rights Committee, the police deliberately committed clear violations of the law by using unnecessary force and injuring dozens of people."

On the other hand, the Fundamental Rights Committee — which was on the ground in and around Erfurt with a group of 17 demonstration observers — reports expressions of solidarity, concrete support for and participation in the protests, and independent events organized by citizens as a democratic, anti-fascist response to the AfD’s policies in many parts of the city. This made it clear: the far-right party is not welcome in Erfurt.