The arrests concerned offenses such as police resistance and the use of unconstitutional symbols.
Berlin:
Some 45 police officers were injured in a wave of weekend protests in Berlin, including protests against coronavirus restrictions, police said as protesters again gathered in smaller numbers on Sunday.
The unruly protests, in which many protesters did not wear masks or obey social distancing rules, sparked a chorus of condemnations, including calls for tougher penalties against those who violate restrictions aimed at curbing the transmission of the deadly virus.
A total of 133 people were arrested during Saturday’s protests, which included a huge “freedom day” protest against coronavirus restrictions, police said in a statement on Sunday.
The arrests concerned offenses such as resisting the police, violating the peace and using unconstitutional symbols.
Three police officers had to be hospitalized, police said.
About 20,000 people took part in the ‘Freedom Day’ protest, with the majority not covering their noses and mouths or meeting Germany’s social distancing requirement of 1.5 meters ( five feet).
The crowd, a mix of hard left and right, and conspiracy theorists, shouted “We are the second wave” as they converged on the Brandenburg Gate, demanding “resistance” and calling the pandemic “bigger. conspiracy theory”.
Police began to disperse the crowds late in the afternoon, but hundreds of protesters remained at the Brandenburg Gate late in the evening.
Police have launched legal proceedings against organizers for failing to comply with viral hygiene rules.
Police began to disperse the crowds in the late afternoon, but hundreds of protesters remained at the Brandenburg Gate.
In another anti-fascist protest in the southern district of Neukoelln, protesters threw stones at police officers, threw fireworks and damaged two police vehicles and a local party office.
Several police officers were injured as the crowd dispersed, including three who were treated in hospital after being struck in the face by shards of glass.
Arrests were also made during small unofficial demonstrations.
A total of 1,100 officers were deployed during the day.
‘Serious consequences’
A few hundred protesters gathered west of the Brandenburg Gate on Sunday, according to an AFP photographer at the scene, the majority wearing masks and respecting social distancing rules.
Despite Germany’s comparatively low toll, authorities are concerned about the rise in infections in recent weeks and politicians have taken to social media to criticize Saturday’s rally as irresponsible.
“Yes, protests should also be possible in times of coronavirus, but not like this,” Health Minister Jens Spahn said.
“The distance, the rules of hygiene and the masks serve to protect us all, so we treat each other with respect.”
Others on Sunday expressed concern over the rise in the number of viruses in Germany and called for tougher penalties for those who break the rules.
“Those who deliberately endanger others should expect this to have serious consequences for them,” Economy Minister Peter Altmaier told the national news agency DPA.
Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Soeder, meanwhile, warned in an interview with the Bild am Sonntag newspaper that “now is not the time to relax or be naive”.
The second wave is “pretty much already here,” Soeder said. “He’s crawling through Germany.”
Soeder also said he was opposed to football matches with spectators, as German Bundesliga officials prepared to meet this week to agree on guidelines for the return of supporters.
Saturday saw 955 new infections in Germany – a level the country had not seen since May 9, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) disease control agency.
New infections have increased only slightly to 240 in the past 24 hours, according to data released by the RKI on Sunday. However, this relatively low figure can be explained by limited reports from local authorities over the weekend.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
