AfD party conference in Jüterbog: protests and controversial debates await us!

AfD party conference in Jüterbog: protests and controversial debates await us!

What's going on in Jüterbog is causing heated discussions! The Berlin AfD is planning a party conference for autumn 2025 in the city's Wiesenhalle, around 90 kilometers south of Berlin. The exact date is still to be determined, but October is being brought into play as a possible month. A current issue that is certainly a topic of conversation, especially since the AfD regularly moves here due to a lack of suitable premises in Berlin. Ronald Glasses, spokesman for the AfD Berlin, has already commented on the protests. He describes these as actions by “organized left-wing extremists” and indicates that the party conference could also bring economic benefits for Jüterbog, which, according to him, could bring in between 10,000 and 20,000 euros in sales for the local hotels.

But appearances are deceiving. There is already resistance among the population against the AfD party conferences. Residents complain about road closures and attach great importance to the hall being used for sporting activities rather than political events. The SPD, the Jüterbog Citizens' Alliance (BBJ) and the Left are in the front row to make their critical voices loud. These parties demand that no more party conferences be held in city halls, especially those that question the free-democratic basic order. A new draft for the hall statutes is already available, but was referred back to the social committee due to incomplete data.

Protests and political debates

The waves were particularly high when three hundred demonstrators set up a blockade at the last party conference of the Berlin AfD on April 5th, which had to be broken up by the police. The upcoming party conference in the fall could also have a bad outcome for the cityscape. An alliance of citizens' initiatives, trade unions, youth associations and Antifa groups is already mobilizing for protests. In the run-up to the most recent party conference in southern Germany, for example in Riesa, there were massive demonstrations in which up to 10,000 participants took to the streets. The police there were forced to increase their forces and warned of violent people among the demonstrators.

Interestingly, the AfD and its supporters also have tailwind in the political sphere. Mayor Arne Raue, who appeared at the AfD's last party conference and received a standing ovation for his words, has indicated in the past that he sees the AfD as the only party seriously trying to save the social system. This sheds further light on the ongoing dispute over political alignments within the city and across party lines.

Political decisions in advance

The SPD parliamentary group leader Gabriele Dehn emphasized that the administration continues to approve contractual party conferences, although a new statute is in the works. The BBJ has also called for a legal review of the permits to ensure that no parties with extreme views are allowed to operate in the halls. A decision on the new hall statutes will not be made until September 17th at the city council meeting at the earliest - another date that many are looking forward to with excitement and that could potentially have far-reaching consequences.

The discussions surrounding the AfD party conference in Jüterbog clearly show that something is going on - and opinions about it vary enormously. It remains to be seen whether the party congress can actually bring the positive economic impulses that Brillen hopes for or whether resistance and protests will thwart the plans.

For more information on this topic, also read the articles from maz-online.de, nd-aktuell.de and zdfheute.de.