• Technicians remove a Bluetooth speaker hidden behind a curtain under the hall’s roof, identified as a possible source of acoustic interference during the Alternative for Germany (AfD) federal party convention.
• Delegates at the AfD conference were surprised when the "Imperial March" from "Star Wars" played during voting for deputy leadership positions, prompting technicians to search for the source and eventually finding at least one Bluetooth speaker hidden in the hall.
• The disruption did not interrupt proceedings at the party conference, which continued as tens of thousands of people protested against the AfD gathering in Erfurt, where Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla were re-elected as party leaders.

Delegates at the conference of Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party were left puzzled on Saturday after the "Imperial March" from "Star Wars" blared through the hall during voting for deputy leadership positions.

The ominous music, associated with the franchise's Galactic Empire and Darth Vader, alternated between different parts of the venue, prompting technicians to search for its source.

They eventually discovered at least one Bluetooth speaker hidden behind a curtain near the roof of the conference hall in the eastern city of Erfurt.

Police later said officers had confiscated a total of four Bluetooth speakers. The person or persons responsible for the stunt have not yet been identified.

An AfD spokesman declined to comment on the incident and referred inquiries to the security authorities.

According to police, the disruption did not interrupt proceedings at the party conference.

The episode occurred as tens of thousands of people protested against the AfD gathering in Erfurt.

Police estimated around 31,000 participants in marches, rallies and blockades, while organizers claimed 50,000. Despite the protests, the conference proceeded on schedule and re-elected Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla as party leaders.