Protesters and the police clashed in the German city of Essen, where the two-day congress of the German far-right party is being held "Alternative for Germany", reported DPA, quoted by BTA.
A large group of protesters tried to break through the police cordon in the area of the hall where the party demonstration will take place. Police used batons and pepper spray to stop the protesters.
About 100,000 people are expected to gather at the protest.
The authorities expected that about 1,000 left-wing extremists might come to the city, because of which the protest would turn into acts of violence.
About 600 delegates of the far-right party are participating in the congress. Party leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Krupala are fighting for re-election ahead of next year's German parliamentary elections.
In the European elections “Alternative for Germany” did not perform as well as polls predicted. In the final stage of the campaign, then-leading party candidate Maximilian Kra made polemical comments about the Nazi era. Doubts also arose about his assistant's possible ties to China. As a result, the “Alternative for Germany” was expelled from the parliamentary group "Identity and Democracy". It is expected that what happened to her during the Euro vote will also be debated during the congress.