German riot police clash with protesters hoping to block far-right AfD conference

ACAB

You can criticize European police and still acknowledge that they are nowhere near as bad as the cops in the US.

But they are different! Our police still has an appreciation of the value of closeness to the population that can only be reached through the use of a baton.

Non of this inpersonal gun stuff with shooting people from afar, please. A cop needs to see into the persons face they brutalise to really make a connection to their community.

I can easily continue, because our cops get proper training and don't kill thousands of people a year.

Political gatherings are protected by law and police exists to enforce the law. As long as no court declares the party illegal, it's their job to ensure they can gather, because they are a party. Same goes for all other parties.

Step 1: realize Europe is not a country and police doesn't act the same everywhere

I'm in 2 minds on this. It reads (and looks) like the police were dealing with deliberate civil disobedience, against a legal event. (Yes I feel dirty describing it like that, but it's true).

Looking at the video, it looks like a twitch response that they reigned in immediately. The police officer had protestors all around him and was likely feeling defensive. It shouldn't have happened, but it was a quick human/training failure.

As for the police stopping them at all. The best we can hope for now, is for the police being neutral. I would hope that the police would step in, if it was a bunch of right wingers trying to invade a gay pride event. It's hard to argue the reverse, when the shoe is on the other foot.

And just to clarify, I'm well on the side of the protestors here. It's just one of the things you need to accept if you're pushing the law. I've played run-around with the police at protests myself before (years back now, unfortunately). I knew the police had to oppose us, and accepted that fact.

Quickly! Someone mention the USA! They're not getting enough attention!

I mean, Elon Musk has publicly supported AFD on multiple occasions. You don't have to be a crazy conspiracy theorist to assume the richest man in the world taking a liking in your little fascist club might also slide you a few more bills than you are officially receiving as registered donations.

I personally think there’s an international cabal of (mostly American or Russian) billionaires who are funding fascism the world over.

Pretty sure it's proven. I think Epstein has Israeli and Russian connections.

Oh they always have for left demonstrations. But strangely for far right ones they are often understaffed. Probably because too many officers took that weekend off for some personal stuff in the area.

They probably had enough time after shift to attend some events.

Protesting Nazis?