Authorities and businesses in Essen prepared on Friday for expected demonstrations against a party congress of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party to be held in the western German city this weekend.
Businesses around the conference venue in the Rüttenscheid district, south of the city centre, boarded up their windows as a police helicopter circled overhead.
Cars were diverted from the area and the popular Grugapark with its open-air swimming pool was closed to visitors. Residents were asked to identify themselves before entering the area on foot.
The police expect that around 100,000 people will demonstrate against the party this weekend. They are particularly concerned about the estimated 1,000 left-wing extremists coming to the area.
One gift shop on a popular shopping street put up a sign reading “Forced Closure.” An exasperated owner said, “If customers can’t come here anyway, I might as well close the shop.” Some businesses had boarded up their windows for fear of riots.
A tent camp with around 4,000 activists on the banks of the Ruhr River, a few kilometers outside the city, filled up on Friday.
The “Camp against Racism” was originally to be set up in a more central location, but was banned by police for security reasons and moved to the outskirts of the neighbouring city of Bochum.
The AfD will elect a new executive at the congress to be held on Saturday and Sunday. Attempts by the city government to prevent the party congress were rejected by the courts.
