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The AfD in Lower Saxony had to end its extraordinary state party conference in Braunschweig prematurely due to overcrowding.
More members appeared at the party congress on Saturday than would have been allowed into the hall under Corona conditions.
Since no voting members waiting in front of the door could be excluded, the chairman of the meeting decided to break off the party conference.
A continuation on Saturday was impossible.
649 party members were in the hall, 14 were waiting outside.
Since the local public order office insisted on the enforcement of the Corona requirements, the AfD had initially sent all journalists outside, but there were still too many people in the room.
Voting motions against the head of the country and three board members
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Previously, an exchange of blows between the two blocks of the party had emerged.
For the party congress convened by district boards, there were requests to vote against AfD country chief Jens Kestner and three other board members.
Moderate forces in the party defended themselves against the attempt of the right-wing camp around Kestner to repeat the candidate list for the federal election because of alleged formal errors.
Several hundred people have been demonstrating against the party congress since early Saturday morning. According to the police, around 450 people take part in the protests, and the Braunschweig Alliance against the Right named 800 participants. As the police reported on Twitter, there were traffic problems. Local public transport is also affected.
Around the conference venue Millenniumhalle, demonstrators tried to hinder the arrival of AfD members by sitting blockades and a human chain. In Braunschweig's western city, the police said they had cleared a blockade. The officers were attacked and one officer was slightly injured. Two people were reportedly arrested and given several evictions. Participants in the demonstration spoke of violent action by the deployed police officers.