Thousands of protesters, primarily from unions, civil society organizations, and left-wing parties, descended upon Erfurt, Thuringia, on Saturday, to disrupt the annual conference of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. The demonstrators aimed to express their opposition to the AfD's rising influence in German politics, with an estimated 20,000 people attending, according to German police. The protests saw roadblocks, sit-in blockades, and even protesters abseiling from a motorway bridge. Authorities deployed a significant number of police officers, including reinforcements from across Germany, in anticipation of the two-day conference. Despite these disruptions, AfD representatives reported that their congress began on schedule. The AfD has been gaining ground in German politics, becoming the second largest party in last year's elections and showing a clear lead over Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservatives in opinion polls. The party appears poised to seize power at the state level for the first time in Saxony-Anhalt, potentially paving the way for further success at a national level. Despite its growing popularity, the AfD remains controversial due to its alleged anti-democratic and extremist views, and all mainstream parties have refused to cooperate with them. The protesters in Erfurt are calling for the party's ban, citing their demands for mass deportations and ethnic cleansing as evidence of their intolerable ideology. Spokesperson Noa Sander from the Resist protest alliance stated, "The AfD wants mass deportations and ethnic cleansing. It should be banned. We aim to block their party conference, obstruct their policies and members wherever they appear, ensuring they have no place in society."