A mass protest on Saturday filled with many activists from the radical organization Antifa, which President Donald Trump designated as a domestic terrorist organization, delayed the start of a conference for the right-wing populist German party Alternative for Germany (AfD) youth wing called Generation Deutschland.

Between 25,000 and 30,000 protesters turned out against the AfD youth convention in the central German city of Giessen, prompting the largest police contingent (6,000 officers) in the history of the state of Hesse.

The AfD co-leader Alice Weidel blasted the demonstrators at the city’s convention center. «What is being done out there – dear left-wingers, dear extremists, you need to look at yourselves – is something that is deeply undemocratic.»

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According to the Associated Press, officers used pepper spray after stones were thrown at them at one location, police said. They also used water cannons to clear a blockade by about 2,000 protesters after they ignored calls to leave. They did so again Saturday afternoon as a group tried to break through barriers toward the city’s convention center. Police said up to 6,000 officers were deployed, and 10 to 15 were slightly injured.

The former U.S. ambassador to Germany during the first administration, Richard Grenell, warned on X about the dangers of the anti-democratic left in the Federal Republic of Germany. He wrote:» The intolerant and violent Left is gaining ground in Germany. If they follow the U.S. left then they will promote deadly violence while also losing public support — and elections. But they won’t see the errors of their ways because the German left gets lots of support from the media in Germany. It’s publicly funded, too. The conservative media is small and timid — but growing fast.»

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Boris Rhein, the Christian Democratic Union governor of the state of Hesse, criticized the attacks on police and the attempt to torpedo the AfD youth event. «The use of violence and attempts to prevent assemblies through marches can never be democratic means,» said Rhein.

The AfD scored an impressive second place election result in February, securing 20.8% of the vote. However, the mainstream German parties refused to form a coalition with the AfD because of what they said were its extremist views.

Two demonstrators jump over a crash barrier while a water cannon is deployed. Several thousand demonstrators protested against the founding of a new AfD youth organization on Saturday. Its predecessor, Junge Alternative, which had been classified as right-wing extremist, had dissolved itself. (Hannes P Albert/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)

The youth division of the AfD elected 28-year-old Jean-Pascal Hohm as its chairman. According to an article in the German paper Die Welt, a local intelligence report quoted him as expressing anti-immigrant and nationalist views. «We will fight resolutely for a genuine shift in migration policy that ensures Germany remains the homeland of Germans, «Hohm said at the start of the conference.

The creation of Generation Deutschland unfolded after Germany’s federal intelligence agency classified the previous AfD youth chapter, Young Alternative, as an «extremist organization» in 2023, causing its dissolution.

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AfD portrays itself as an anti-establishment force at a time of low trust in politicians. It first entered the national parliament in 2017 following the arrival of large numbers of migrants in the mid-2010s. Curbing migration remains its signature theme, but it has shown a talent for capitalizing on discontent about other issues too. That was reflected in leaders’ confident tone Saturday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

El gobierno de Nicolás Maduro emitió un comunicado en el que “denuncia y condena la amenaza colonialista” que —según afirma— intenta afectar la soberanía del país sobre su espacio aéreo.

El mensaje de Venezuela fue difundido este sábado como respuesta al anuncio hecho por el presidente Donald Trump a través de Truth Social.

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“A todas las aerolíneas, pilotos, narcotraficantes y traficantes de personas: les rogamos que consideren que el espacio aéreo sobre Venezuela y sus alrededores permanecerá cerrado en su totalidad“, manifestó el mandatario estadounidense.

El aviso llegó en medio de un fuerte despliegue militar estadounidense en el Caribe, que incluye al portaaviones más grande del mundo, el USS Gerald R. Ford, y más de una decena de barcos, aviones de combate y 12.000 efectivos. El objetivo declarado: combatir a las organizaciones de narcotráfico que operan bajo la protección del régimen chavista.

Como respuesta, el gobierno venezolano señaló que las declaraciones del presidente de Estados Unidos constituyen “una agresión extravagante, ilegal e injustificada” contra el pueblo.

En el documento, Venezuela repudia “con absoluta contundencia” la intención de Washington de “aplicar extraterritorialmente su jurisdicción” y acusa a EE.UU. de intentar “dar órdenes y amenazar la soberanía del espacio aéreo nacional, la integridad territorial y la seguridad aeronáutica”.

De igual forma, considera que este tipo de declaraciones representa “un acto hostil, unilateral y arbitrario, incompatible con los principios elementales del Derecho Internacional”. También sostiene que estas acciones representan “una política permanente de agresión” con “pretensiones coloniales” sobre América Latina y el Caribe.

El comunicado asegura que el anuncio de Trump constituye “una amenaza explícita de uso de la fuerza”, según lo establecido por la Carta de las Naciones Unidas.

Además, el gobierno de Nicolás Maduro afirma que el intento de intimidación viola el Artículo 1 de la Carta de la ONU, que consagra la paz y la seguridad internacionales. “Venezuela exige respeto irrestricto a su espacio aéreo, protegido por la OACI y por el Convenio de Chicago de 1944″, cuyo Artículo 1 reconoce la ”soberanía exclusiva y absoluta» sobre la zona aérea de cada Estado, se agrega en el documento oficial.

Asimismo, se advierte que Venezuela no “aceptará órdenes, amenazas ni injerencias provenientes de ningún poder extranjero”.

En el comunicado, también se denuncia que Estados Unidos suspendió unilateralmente los vuelos regulares para repatriación de ciudadanos venezolanos dentro del Plan Vuelta a la Patria, del que —según se indica— ya se habían realizado 75 vuelos para un total de 13.956 repatriados.

Leé también: Trump aseguró que ordenará operativos terrestres contra narcotraficantes en Venezuela

En este contexto, el gobierno venezolano hace “un llamado directo a la comunidad internacional”, a la ONU y a los gobiernos del mundo para que rechacen “este acto de agresión inmoral” que representa “una amenaza contra la soberanía y la seguridad de la región”.

Por último, sostiene que responderá con “dignidad, legalidad y fuerza” y asegura que continuará ejerciendo “plenamente su soberanía” sobre el espacio aéreo.

“Por tierra”

Para aumentar la presión, Trump advirtió a principios de esta semana que los esfuerzos para frenar el narcotráfico venezolano “por tierra” comenzarían “muy pronto”.

En los últimos días, se ha registrado una constante actividad de aviones de combate estadounidenses a unas pocas decenas de kilómetros de la costa venezolana, según sitios web de seguimiento de aeronaves.

República Dominicana, vecina de Venezuela, autorizó a Estados Unidos esta semana el uso de instalaciones aeroportuarias como parte de su despliegue, mientras Trinidad y Tobago, también ubicada a pocos kilómetros, albergó recientemente ejercicios del Cuerpo de Marines de Estados Unidos.

Suspensión de vuelos

Las autoridades de aviación de Estados Unidos instaron, la semana pasada, a las aeronaves civiles que operan en el espacio aéreo venezolano a “actuar con precaución” debido a la “situación de seguridad que empeora y la actividad militar intensificada en o alrededor de Venezuela“.

La advertencia de Trump tuvo como consecuencia la suspensión de vuelos hacia y desde Venezuela de seis aerolíneas que representan gran parte del tráfico en Sudamérica.

Leé también: Donald Trump habría hablado por teléfono con Nicolás Maduro sobre una posible reunión

La medida enfureció a Caracas. Por esto, la autoridad aeronáutica venezolana revocó los permisos para operar en el país a la española Iberia, la portuguesa TAP, la colombiana Avianca, la filial colombiana de la chileno-brasileña Latam, la brasileña GOL y la turca Turkish.

El gobierno de Maduro señaló a las aerolíneas de “sumarse a las acciones de terrorismo de Estado promovido por el gobierno de los Estados Unidos, suspendiendo unilateralmente sus operaciones aerocomerciales”.

Con información de AFP.

CHARLES TOWN, W.V. – EXCLUSIVE: The Thanksgiving Eve shooting that has left one West Virginia National Guard member dead and another clinging to his life enraged top officials in Charleston, West Virginia — as one placed blame squarely on the disastrous 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and said his state is «one big small town» that is mourning together.

The suspect, Rahmahullah Lakanwal, reportedly worked with a CIA-operated unit that fought the Taliban on America’s behalf, Fox News Digital confirmed, which helped evacuate people during the fall of Kabul under then-President Joe Biden.

West Virginia Republican Party Chairman Josh Holstein told Fox News Digital Friday the news angered him, and that anger turned to devastation when Sarah Beckstrom of Summersville, West Virginia, succumbed to her wounds, and as Andrew Wolfe of Inwood, West Virginia, remains in critical condition.

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«It’s just been a horrible tragedy here in West Virginia,» said Holstein, who is also a state delegate from Boone County, West Virginia. «This doesn’t happen for West Virginians very often, and it’s just such a deep tragedy.» 

«One of the things that I’ve … said from the beginning is West Virginia is just one big small town,» he said. «And folks come together in tragedy, in triumph, in everything. We come together and we celebrate, we mourn, always together.» 

Holstein said that in times like this political parties don’t matter, and that Mountaineers came again together after the shooting. West Virginia Democratic Party Chair Mike Pushkin to Republican Sens. Jim Justice and Shelley Moore Capito all offered similar heartfelt reactions.

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Travelers are greeted by a West Virginia welcome sign after crossing the East River Mountain Tunnel on I-77 in Princeton, West Virginia.  (Charlie Creitz/Fox News Digital)

«West Virginians of all political sides of the aisle came together and just mourn(ed) and share a sense of deep grief, but not only grief, but gratitude for these folks, especially these these two young folks,» he said. «And then yesterday, of course, with it being Thanksgiving, it was a somber reminder that not all of us all of us get together with our families on Thanksgiving.»

«These two were at the time, both fighting for their life, and now one has since passed away,» he said. «I, I just feel that West Virginians in particular have such a unique drive for service. You can see it in our numbers per capita on how many veterans we have compared to other states in the country. We’re always willing and always able to serve each other and . . . it’s a really a perfect description of who West Virginians are.»

As reports came out about Lakanwal’s origins and background, that sentiment turned to fury, Holstein said, remarking that the 29-year-old Afghan «was not even supposed to be here.»

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West Virginia GOP Chairman Del. Josh Holstein’s official state portrait. (West Virginia House of Delegates)

Turning to the 2021 Afghan withdrawal during which Lakanwal found his way to the U.S., Holstein remarked that «when you create chaos, chaos follows.»

«That Afghanistan withdrawal was complete debacle; complete chaos,» he said. «And it led to people literally running and jumping on planes and coming to the United States as a result of it. It was complete chaos. There was not a deliberate system, irrespective and irregardless of what any of the administration officials of the past administration had said about it.»

«It’s really just an indictment on our country’s immigration system,» he said. «We have an immigration system that puts other people first. It doesn’t put American citizens first, it doesn’t put the good of the country first. It puts other people from random places throughout the country.»

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Holstein said President Donald Trump struck the right response when he pledged to crack down on third-world-country immigration and immigration from unstable governments.

«I think this is just yet again an example one thousand of our need to focus more on merit-based immigration and vetting who comes into our country at all times,» he said.

Asked whether he wants to see the West Virginia National Guard continue to deploy to Washington as part of Trump’s and U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro’s efforts to clean up crime, Holstein was undeterred.

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«We can’t cower to people like this (Lakanwal). You can’t cower in tragedy,» he said, adding that there are about 150 other guardsmen from his state serving in Washington.

«So, I hope to see everybody stay there and maybe even have some more folks come in from different places,» he added.

Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman and Tessa Hoyos contributed to this report.