Protests erupt in Germany, causing the congress of the far-right AfD party to be postponed for more than an hour

The congress of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party was postponed by an hour after thousands of protesters protested outside the party's meeting venue.

Chancellor Scholz lost confidence in a parliamentary vote on December 16, paving the way for early elections. (Source: Reuters)

According to the plan, on January 11, about 600 AfD members are expected to approve the party's manifesto at a two-day meeting before the early general election on February 23.

In addition to formally nominating party leader Alice Weidel as a candidate for chancellor , the draft manifesto also includes plans to leave the eurozone and a tough immigration policy.

Speaking to AFP, an AfD party spokesman said the agenda was delayed by about an hour due to protests preventing members from reaching the venue.

Meanwhile, police expect around 10,000 protesters to turn out outside the convention centre in the town of Riesa despite the cold weather.

Authorities had to erect barricades on the roads leading to the convention center in Riesa, even using pepper spray to disperse the crowd, but protesters still managed to break through the barricades to get closer inside.

The AfD congress comes days after party leader Weidel met with US tech billionaire Elon Musk, who is said to support the AfD.

The AfD is currently second in the opinion polls, with its support rising slightly from 19 to 20%. While the conservative CDU/CSU is leading with 31% support, Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats are third with 15%.

Previously, on December 16, the German Parliament voted for a confidence vote in Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Of these, 394 MPs voted against Mr. Scholz, 207 MPs supported him, and 116 MPs abstained.

This result means Mr. Scholz is dismissed, paving the way for Germany to hold early elections.

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