Several conservative journalists have been chased and assaulted by left-wing extremists while covering protests against the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) federal party congress in the eastern German city of Erfurt, capital of the state of Thuringia, on July 4, 2026.
As thousands of protesters gathered to disrupt the party congress and block delegates from reaching the venue, some groups turned their attention to members of the press. Eyewitness accounts and reports from the media outlets involved describe conservative journalists being deliberately identified, singled out and pursued through the streets by masked activists before being surrounded and attacked, often by large groups against one or two reporters.
Cameras and press badges reportedly made journalists easy targets, with demonstrators alerting others to their presence while shouting insults such as “Nazis” and “fascists”.
The most serious assault targeted a reporting team from Apollo News, a Berlin-based conservative online news outlet specialising in German politics. Videos circulating on social media show a crowd chasing the journalists before surrounding them and launching a violent attack.
One reporter was knocked to the ground and kicked, including in the back of the head, while the team was filming near Gothaer Platz; two of the three-person team were injured. German police have confirmed that they are investigating the incident, having set up a dedicated investigation group. A police spokeswoman said the reporters had been attacked with bottles thrown from the crowd.
Journalists from Junge Freiheit, one of Germany’s best-known conservative weekly newspapers, also reported being assaulted while covering the demonstrations, reinforcing allegations that sections of the protest movement deliberately targeted media outlets perceived as politically non-aligned.
The violence unfolded during large-scale demonstrations aimed at preventing the AfD from holding its federal party congress. Police said around 31,000 people took part in the protests, though organisers put the figure at about 50,000, with several groups attempting to block access routes to the venue. Officers drawn from almost all of Germany’s federal states, supported by federal police with horses and water cannon, were deployed.
Clashes between demonstrators and police erupted throughout the day, alongside repeated outbreaks of violence.
According to Apollo News and Junge Freiheit, the attacks were not isolated confrontations but part of what the outlets described as a deliberate effort to drive conservative media away from the protests.
Reporters said groups of masked extremists actively searched for journalists from non-left-wing outlets, followed them through the city and sought to prevent them from documenting the demonstrations. Several journalists said they were forced to flee for their safety after being chased by aggressive crowds, while others reported that their equipment had been damaged during the assaults.
The attacks sparked further controversy on July 5, when representatives of Widersetzen, a nationwide left-wing activist alliance that organised blockades and acts aimed at preventing the congress from taking place, appeared to justify the violence during a press conference.
Asked about the assaults by public broadcasters Deutschlandfunk and Bayerischer Rundfunk, alliance spokesman Noa Sander replied: “We came to Erfurt to block fascists. Fascists with a press pass are still fascists.” Rather than condemning the attacks, the remarks were widely interpreted as legitimising violence against journalists working for conservative media.
Despite the disruption, the protesters ultimately failed to achieve their main objective. Under heavy police protection, the AfD proceeded with its federal party congress as scheduled. Delegates re-elected co-leaders Alice Weidel, with about 81 per cent of the vote, and Tino Chrupalla, with about 70 per cent, each for a further two years and without opposing candidates.
The violence against journalists has nevertheless reignited concerns in Germany about left-wing political extremism and the state of press freedom. Greens co-leader Franziska Brantner described the protests as a sign of democratic strength and the assaults as an isolated case, while the CDU and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) condemned them.
The attacks in Erfurt have fuelled fears that militant activists are increasingly willing to use violence not only against their political opponents but also against reporters covering events from outside the left-wing media mainstream.
The incident is likely to intensify an already heated debate over whether conservative journalists are being targeted because of the editorial stance of the outlets they represent, and whether Germany’s commitment to press freedom is being applied equally regardless of political affiliation.