November 27, 2025, 1:32 p.mNovember 27, 2025, 1:32 p.m
Before the founding meeting of the new youth organizations of the Alternative for Germany (AfD), the mayor of the German city of Giessen, Frank-Tilo Becher, called on participants in counter-protests to remain peaceful. “The limit of what is tolerable is exceeded where violence is called for or violence is used,” said Becher in Giessen.
Demonstration in Saxony in January 2025 against the AfD federal party conference. image: keystone
People are looking forward to the weekend with excitement, for which around 30 meetings with around 50,000 participants have now been announced. However, they have prepared for this with great energy and care and are working well with the police.
It is worrying that trust in the democratic state is currently permanently at risk, said the mayor. It’s about the question of how people in Germany want to live in the future: “In an open, diverse and free society – or in an isolated country in which many of us would no longer be welcome and many things would no longer be allowed.”
Interior Minister: Challenging situation
A new Germany-wide AfD youth organization is to be founded in Giessen this weekend. Brandenburg state parliament member Jean-Pascal Hohm will be the head of the new organization, which could be called “Generation Germany”. The Brandenburg Office for the Protection of the Constitution classifies him as definitely right-wing extremist.
Jean-Pascal Hohm, member of the Brandenburg state parliament and candidate for chairmanship of the new AfD youthImage: DPA
The former AfD youth organization “Junge Alternative” was dissolved following a party conference resolution in the spring. The largely independent association was classified as proven right-wing extremist by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. As a rule, the future party youth can only belong to those who are also in the AfD. The organization is intended to become a legally dependent part of the party, which is classified by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution as partly right-wing extremist.
The day before, Hesse’s Interior Minister had expressed concern about the expected events in Giessen and spoke of a “challenging major situation”, especially with regard to calls for violence from the left-wing scene. (sda/dpa)