Thousands of people protested in the German town of Riesa, in the eastern state of Saxony, against a gathering of the far-right  Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

Organizers counted 12,000 protesters in attendance, while the police spoke of 10,000.

The AfD conference is part of the party's campaign for the February 23 Bundestag election, which was called after the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's coalition government.

Polling suggests that the AfD could become the second-largest party in parliament in the election.

What do we know about the anti-AfD protest?

The start of the event was reportedly delayed by several hours.

Six police officers also sustained light injuries during operations in Riesa, state police said in a post on social media.

Organizers said that participants from 70 cities were set to arrive in over 100 buses.

They said a "small group" was blocking part of a highway near the event.

Protesters also blocked entrances to the conference venue where the AfD campaign was held.

A helicopter and drones were being used in police operations, according to the statement.

Germany's DPA news agency reported that police had use pepper spray in containing protesters.

AfD's Weidel calls for 'large-scale' deportations

On Saturday, AfD leader Alice Weidel was officially declared the party's candidate for chancellor.

During the party conference, she said that the AfD planned to "tear down all wind turbines" and would put functioning nuclear power plants and the Nord Stream gas pipeline back into operation.

She said the party wants to send the message that Germany's borders are "closed" and plans to carry out "large-scale" deportations if it takes power.

Meanwhile, AfD co-leader Tino Chrupalla thanked police for their efforts and accused protesters of "anti-democratic" behavior.

AfD's eastern appeal

Saxony and a number of other states in eastern Germany are seen as strongholds of the AfD.

In the 2021 federal election, the far-right party took first place in Saxony with 24.6% of the vote, while the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) won 17.4%.

In September last year, the AfD managed to become the most voted party in regional elections in Saxony and neighboring Thuringia. However, it did not manage to form government in either state due to a lack of potential coalition partners.

Germany's domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), has classified the AfD as a "suspected" far-right extremist organization.

sdi/ab (AFP, AP, dpa, epd)