POLICE in Hannover blasted anti-racists with water cannon at the weekend during a protest against the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) holding its leadership conference in the city.

Protests began peacefully on Friday evening, with demonstrators holding up banners reading “Our Hannover — colourful and in solidarity.” They continued on Saturday with numbers swelling to as many as 6,500 people.

Altercations between police and protesters broke out as some activists tried to block the road to the Hannover conference centre.

Despite near-freezing temperatures, officers deployed a water cannon in an attempt to disperse the crowd.

One protester’s leg was broken as he was dragged away by police.

Barriers and barbed wire had been erected around the conference centre and thousands of extra police officers deployed to protect the anti-immigration and Islamophobic party.