By Cecile Mantovani
EINSIEDELN, Switzerland (Reuters) – Around 250 people protested on Saturday against the leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in the Swiss town where she has a home, sparking counter-demonstrations in a charged atmosphere that led to five arrests, authorities said.
Police said several hundred counter-protesters also went to the town of Einsiedeln where AfD leader Alice Weidel has a house with her filmmaker partner, a Sri Lankan-born woman. Weidel’s other residence is across the border in Germany.
Chanting “Nazis Out” and holding placards with slogans like “1933 Never Again” – a reference to the year Adolf Hitler took power – opponents of the AfD’s tough immigration stance and other policies marched through Einsiedeln to denounce the party.
Opinion polls show the AfD with support of around 20%, and it is forecast to come second in Germany’s parliamentary election on Sunday, spurred by concern over immigration and frustration over the economy. Weidel, 46, is the party’s first chancellor candidate.
Hundreds of local residents looked on as the march moved through town under a heavy police presence as counter-demonstrators booed and tried to drown out protesters’ chants.
Five people carrying prohibited objects or who failed to follow police orders were detained, police said.
Police described the atmosphere as heated and some people got involved in physical altercations. However, no injuries were reported and major disturbances were avoided, they said.
Weidel’s Swiss home has prompted questions from German journalists during the election campaign about her financial status. This month she stated that she pays all her taxes in Germany.
(Reporting by Cecile Mantovani; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
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