Giessen, germany – November 30, 2025 – Three arrests were made and 25 criminal charges filed following protests in Giessen against a rally organized by the youth wing of the Choice for Germany (AfD) party. Despite police reporting the gatherings were “largely peaceful,” officers faced blockades and attacks involving stones, bottles, and pyrotechnic objects, resulting in slight injuries to between ten and twenty personnel.
The protests sparked a political debate over the appropriate response to demonstrations and the escalating willingness to use violence. Police from 15 federal states, alongside the Federal Police and the BKA, were deployed in what authorities deemed an appropriately scaled operation. Hesse’s Prime Minister Rhein (CDU) condemned the violence directed at police defending the constitutional order, warning that attempts to suppress the rights of even opposing groups strengthen extremist elements. AfD chairwoman Weidel characterized the protests as deeply undemocratic and expressed concern over a dangerous level of willingness to use violence.
According to Hesse police headquarters, those arrested were briefly detained before release. Police announced that throughout the day, reported gatherings were largely peaceful, but noted repeated attempts to breach barriers, particularly near the exhibition halls. further information regarding the AfD Youth’s recent restructuring is available https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/afd-jugend-neu-gruendung-100.html. Police Chief Krückemeier stated, “The worst scenarios certainly did not occur.”
