Protests explode as AfD builds radical youth arm, a backlash to unchecked migration and Islamist extremism.
Thousands of demonstrators flooded the streets of Giessen, Germany, on Saturday as the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) prepared to launch its new youth organization—an event that instantly became a flashpoint in a country shaken by migration crises, rising extremism, and tensions heavily influenced by radical Islamist networks that Europe still struggles to confront.
From the early morning, protesters attempted to block roads leading to the city of 93,000 residents. Police intervened after stones were thrown at officers, deploying pepper spray to regain control.
The AfD’s new youth wing—expected to be named “Generation Germany”—is being established after the party dissolved its previous group, Young Alternative, which Germany’s domestic intelligence service had already classified as a proven far-right extremist entity. The AfD wants tighter control over its successor, aware that Europe’s political center is cracking under the pressures of mass migration, Islamist radicalization, and demographic shifts that have long worried security experts, including Israel’s.
Delegates were set to choose the new youth movement’s leaders, rules, and branding. A proposed logo includes an eagle, a cross, and Germany’s national colors—symbols meant to reclaim national identity in a political climate many Germans now believe has been weakened by years of uncontrolled migration from the Middle East and North Africa.
The organization’s likely first leader, Jean-Pascal Hohm, 28, comes from eastern Germany and has links to various far-right and ethno-nationalist groups. Political analysts say the new youth wing is expected to be at least as radical as its predecessor.
Counter-demonstrators—including anti-fascist groups, labor unions, religious organizations, and pro-democracy activists—staged parallel rallies under slogans such as “Resist” and “Together for Democracy and Diversity.”
One protester, Anna Walldorf, 29, said she traveled home to Giessen “to prove it’s not defined by negativity.” She added that democracy “can no longer be taken for granted.”
Experts warn that even as the AfD attempts to tighten its grip on the new youth group, the move binds the party more directly to any radical positions it adopts.
Political scientist Fabian Virchow noted that its leadership draws heavily from extremist circles, including former Identitarian activists and hard-right student fraternities.
Another analyst, Stefan Marschall, observed that greater integration means the AfD “can no longer credibly distance itself” when the youth wing crosses red lines.
Despite attempts at oversight, the youth group already plans to assert independence. One motion demands the organization must “neither blindly follow the parent party nor serve as a lapdog.”
Ultimately, Germany’s intensifying political turbulence is a symptom of deeper pressures—rising crime linked to extremist migrants, fear of Islamist influence, and frustration with governmental paralysis.
While Israel maintains clear red lines around national identity and security, much of Europe still struggles to defend its democratic values against destabilizing forces both internal and imported.
