Hamburg protests erupt as AfD's Weidel draws controversy
A demonstration took place in Hamburg, involving about 16,000 people. They protested against the appearance of Alice Weidel, the candidate for chancellor from the right-wing populist AfD party, at the city hall. The AfD leader described the protesters as a "band of thugs" and compared them to the SA, the paramilitary wing of the NSDAP.
The demonstration occurred about five weeks before the Bundestag elections. The organizers emphasized that their aim was to express opposition to AfD's policies, which they consider hate-spreading. As reported by "Sueddeutsche Zeitung," the protests were relatively peaceful, although in some instances, police used tear gas. Participants carried banners with slogans such as "Stop AfD" and "Fascism is not an opinion, but a crime."
In her speech, Alice Weidel used radical rhetoric. She mentioned Taleb Abdul Jawad, who carried out an attack at the Christmas market in Magdeburg, describing him as an "Arab" and "a person who should not be in our country." However, she did not mention that the attacker sympathized with AfD.
Weidel also reiterated her claim that Adolf Hitler was a "leftist," which she previously stated in an interview with Elon Musk on platform X.
In the latest poll for RTL/ntv, AfD ranks second with 20% support, the party's best result in a year. It is surpassed only by the Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) with 31% support. The Bundestag elections are scheduled for February 23.
Controversies over the "deportation ticket"
AfD recently gained attention due to the "deportation ticket" - a leaflet from the local AfD in Karlsruhe designed as a plane ticket for "illegal immigrants." The brochure displayed a departure date of February 23, the day of the Bundestag elections. Alice Weidel's statements, including the claim that Hitler was a "leftist," also captured media attention. Weidel argued that her party advocates "conservative and libertarian" views.
