The German military has issued a security warning to soldiers in uniform due to anticipated clashes around the founding by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) of a new youth organization this weekend.
Personnel were warned of dangers and the risk of escalation in the central town of Giessen or when changing trains at the station, according to the Bundeswehr, Germany’s armed forces, the Spiegel magazine and other media reported on Friday.
Warnings about special situations or dangers are part of standard procedure for the military, as many soldiers in uniform will be travelling by train over the weekend.
The AfD is planning to establish a new countrywide youth organization called “Generation Germany” on Saturday and Sunday in the university town in the state of Hesse.
Around 50,000 counter-demonstrators are expected at around 30 events, as well as one of the largest police operations in the state’s history.
The new group is to be headed by Jean-Pascal Hohm, a politician from the state of Brandenburg, where the state-level domestic intelligence agency has listed him as a “confirmed right-wing extremist.”
The previous AfD youth wing was dissolved following a party conference decision in the spring, after it was listed as extremist by the federal intelligence agency.