Thousands demonstrate in Germany against confinement

In many cities, people took to the streets against the imposed Corona rules on Saturday, German daily Die Welt reported. In Berlin, a thousand police officers secured the protests, and in Munich police carried protesters away since many did not wear a mask nor kept their distances.

Several thousand people gathered in Berlin-Mitte on Saturday afternoon for various demonstrations.

At the Alexanderplatz alone, four rallies were held at the same time, surrounded by police officers. Officials made sure that there were no more than 50 demonstrators at a time. The distance of 1,50 meters was also maintained.

In the middle of the square, more than 40 demonstrators protested with banners and a loudspeaker for the rights of refugees. A few meters away, dozens of people demonstrated with loud music against confinement and vaccinations.

Several hundred people gathered in front of the Reichstag building to attend a rally by Turkish-born television chef Attila Hildmann against the Corona restrictions.

On Saturday afternoon, far more than the permitted 1 000 people came to Theresienwiese in Munich to demonstrate against the conditions imposed during the Corona crisis. After the cordoned off area was filled, the police sent the waiting people away. Hundreds then lined the sidewalks along the area where the Oktoberfest is otherwise celebrated in autumn.

Announcements by the police to leave the area around the cordoned off space, were met with boos from the demonstrators. The organisers plan to demonstrate with 10 000 participants next week.

As announced, the police were on site with a large contingent – on foot and on horseback. The Munich Presidium spokesman, Marcus da Gloria Martins, said shortly before the start that the participants had very different intentions. State security will be looking at whether people with extreme right-wing aspirations were also present, he said.

In Dresden, some protesters denied the existence of the virus and accused politicians of just wanting to scare them with a “Corona lie”while others expressed concern about a mandatory vaccination requirement.

Several hundred people demonstrated in Hamburg against “supporters of conspiracy theories”. They fought verbally and fought with demonstrators who protested the state protection measures. At least one person was slightly injured in a clash, the police confirmed.

Several people were detained, a police spokesman said.

A higher-level employee of the ministry, identified in the media as Stephan K, released a report last Friday strongly critical of the German government’s response to the Coronavirus crisis.  In an 83-page document he sent to federal and state government officials he claims the collateral damage of Germany’s lockdown measures has outweighed the threat of the virus and likely resulted in more deaths than from Covid-19 due to the cancellations of surgeries at hospitals nationwide.

According to the police, a ZDF camera team was pressured in Halle in Saxony-Anhalt at a rally against the Corona measures. The ZDF team later left the market place under police protection. Nobody was injured.

Thousands of people gathered again in Stuttgart for a demonstration against the Corona restrictions. This time, however, only 5 000 participants were allowed on the Cannstatter Wasen, which is why numerous people came together outside of the designated area. The police assigned them another area.

According to police, several hundred people also demonstrated in Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland. A demonstration against the Corona restrictions planned for Saturday afternoon in Koblenz was banned by the Koblenz Ordnungsamt after a previous demonstration had violated the mouthguard and distance requirements.

Two demonstrations with 50 and 100 participants took place in Dortmund, which, according to the police, was peaceful. Around 300 people demonstrated in Düsseldorf at three different locations against various Corona measures.

In Aachen, several demonstrations were announced for the afternoon, including a larger one from the AfD, in which around 100 participants were expected. In Essen, 230 people demonstrated in a parking lot on the outskirts of the city. There were no incidents, said a police spokesman.