Police clashed with far-right protesters in Berlin and made about 200 arrests after tens of thousands of people rallied mostly peacefully against German restrictions to contain the coronavirus pandemic.
An estimated 38,000 people took part in at least two rallies near key federal government buildings on Saturday, broadcaster ARD reported, citing the capital’s interior minister, Andreas Geisel. Later, violence erupted between law enforcement and about 3,000 far-right activists. Police forcibly removed some protesters from a restricted zone at the Reichstag parliament building.
Another 100 people were arrested earlier Saturday at a rally and march, where some demonstrators threw bottles at police. Demonstrators held posters that read “Stop the coronavirus madness” and “End the coronavirus dictatorship,” and a protest leader called for Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government to resign.
Smaller protests were reported in the French and British capitals. In London, thousands gathered at Trafalgar Square to oppose lockdowns and vaccinations, the Telegraph reported. As many as 300 people rallied in downtown Paris against government mask-wearing requirements, broadcaster Europe1 reported.
In Berlin, police ordered demonstrators to break up the march near the Brandenburg Gate when many participants refused to wear masks or respect social-distancing rules, but the bigger rally went ahead nearby after a local court declined to ban it.
The Berlin rally was organized by a group called Querdenken 711, which says the virus restrictions infringe on German constitutional freedoms. The protests attracted a mix of libertarians, virus deniers, right-wing extremists, and anti-vaccine campaigners.
Covid-19 cases have been ticking up in Germany with new infections hovering near four-month highs, raising the prospect of a return to stricter lockdown measures.
Merkel warned on Friday that the coronavirus crisis will get worse before it gets better as the summer draws to a close and people are forced indoors. She’s also called on Germans to refrain from non-essential travel to areas with severe coronavirus outbreaks, and regional authorities agreed to impose a 50-euro ($59) fine for not wearing masks when necessary.
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