New AfD youth organization sparks major protest in Germany | DW News

Key Concepts

• Alternative for Germany (AFD): A far-right political party in Germany.
• Generation Doutland: The new youth organization of the AFD.
• Young Alternative: The predecessor to Generation Doutland, dissolved due to ethnic nationalist positions.
• Identitarian Movement: A white supremacist group with links to Yon Pascal Home.
• Ethnic Nationalism: A political ideology that defines the nation in terms of shared ethnicity.
• Water Cannon and Pepper Spray: Law enforcement tools used to disperse crowds.

Protests Against AFD Youth Wing Founding Meeting

1. Scale of Protests: Approximately 30,000 protesters gathered in Gohn, the location of the founding meeting for the AFD's new youth organization, Generation Doutland. This demonstration was one of the largest policing operations the state has ever witnessed, involving over 6,000 police officers.

2. Motivations of Protesters: Protesters expressed strong opposition to the AFD, viewing it as a threat to their lives and rights. One protester stated, "The FD is for me a problem because uh the party is against my life, my rights." Another expressed a desire to be present to document the event for historical record, saying, "And in like 30 years when this will be in the history books, then I can say I have been here."

3. Disruptive Tactics: Activists employed tactics such as blocking highways to impede the AFD meeting, successfully delaying its commencement.

4. Law Enforcement Response: Police reported minor clashes and confirmed the deployment of water cannon and pepper spray. Demonstrators were warned via loudspeaker to remove their masks and threatened with water cannon use if they attempted to breach barricades.

AFD's New Youth Wing: Generation Doutland

1. Dissolution of Predecessor: The new youth wing, Generation Doutland, emerges after the dissolution of its predecessor, the Young Alternative. The Young Alternative was dissolved due to concerns that it might be banned because of its ethnic nationalist positions.

2. Increased Party Control: The AFD intends to exert more control over membership within the new youth wing.

3. Leadership and Ideological Links: Yon Pascal Home was elected as the new head of Generation Doutland. Home is a regional lawmaker with known connections to the identitarian movement, which is classified as a white supremacist group and is on the AFD's non-cooperation list. Home indicated that networking with such groups would continue.

4. Continuity of Content: Despite a new name and a perceived increase in professionalism, the AFD's revamped youth movement is seen as having no plans to moderate its ideological content.

Conclusion

The founding of the AFD's new youth wing, Generation Doutland, was met with significant public protest, highlighting deep societal divisions regarding the far-right party's ideology. While the AFD has rebranded its youth organization, concerns remain about the continuity of its ethnic nationalist and potentially white supremacist leanings, as evidenced by the leadership's links to the identitarian movement. The large-scale police presence and the use of crowd control measures underscore the intensity of the opposition and the challenges in managing such events.