Protesters, police clash as far-right Alternative for Germany picks new leaders

The anti-immigration Alternative for Germany party conference was delayed for several hours on Saturday due to protests in the city of Hanover. Police used water cannons to disperse several hundred left-wing and anti-capitalism protesters, with TV footage showing authorities carrying away demonstrators. AfD lawmaker Kay Gottschalk said he was injured by protesters, according to dpa news agency.

Members of the anti-fascist movement Antifa, which has seen a recent resurgence after the rise of US President Donald Trump, were among people from many groups that attended protests, including several trade unions. Gathered under the banner "Our Hanover - colorful and in solidarity," about 6,500 participants rallied on Saturday.

Left-wing and anti-capitalism protests in Hanover began on Friday evening, a day ahead of the AfD's party conference. Authorities said those rallies went ahead mostly peacefully. On Saturday, however, the scale was far larger, as thousands more gathered from 6 a.m. (0500 UTC) to march towards Hanover's city center.

As protest groups approached the city center, demonstrators planned to obstruct road access to the Hanover Conference Center, where the AfD was holding its party conference. Officials reported that both police and protesters had been injured in confrontations. One protester, who was chained to a barrier, broke a leg while being dragged away by police.

As a number of protesters continued attempts to occupy the streets around the conference center. Police resorted to firing water cannons in a bid to disperse the crowds, despite December temperatures being close to freezing. Authorities reportedly also carried pepper spray and battons.

As protesters rallied in Hanover's city center, authorities raised barriers and rolled out barbed wire around all nearby roads leading to the conference center. Such a strong emphasis on security is virtually unprecedented for a party conference and says a lot about the nature of the AfD's divisive politics.

Despite the freezing temperatures, peaceful protesters continued to rally in full force throughout the day. "No one can dictate what it means to be German. We got rid of the far-right after World War II. We can do it again" one young demonstrator told DW's Elizabeth Schumacher.

The AfD, holding its first party conference since being voted into the Bundestag, is electing new leaders. Members will decide whether hardliners lead the AfD further to the right or if relative moderates position the anti-immigration party as what they call traditionally conservative.

The 8,500 AfD delegates voted against a proposal to do away with the two-leader system in the party. On Saturday, Joerg Meuthen was elected for two more years as the AfD's co-chair. The 56-year-old received 72 percent of votes. Alexander Gauland was chosen as the AfD co-leader with 68 per cent of the vote.

In his opening speech, Meuthen accused German Chancellor Angela Merkel of "failing the country" and called for a "patriotic course." Despite his free-market liberal background, Meuthen is popular with the AfD's supporters.

"There are people in this country who don't only say 'We can do this' but who actually manage to do something," Meuthen told delegates, apparently in a reference to Merkel's "Wir schaffen das" (We can do it) message to those who were skeptical about Germany's ability to deal with a record influx of migrants in 2015.

Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party has turned to the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) after her efforts to form a coalition government with the Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) failed last month. The AfD is hoping to capitalize on the political uncertainty in Germany.