Thousands of people across Germany are protesting coronavirus lockdown measures over the weekend.
From anger over lockdown measures to a purported vaccine plan by Bill Gates, the growing wave of demonstrations in Germany by conspiracy theorists, extremists and anti-vaxxers against coronavirus measures has alarmed even Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Initially starting as a handful of protesters decrying tough restrictions on public life to halt transmission of the coronavirus, the protests have grown in recent weeks to gatherings of thousands in major German cities.
Meanwhile, German police said on Saturday that they have launched an investigation after a tombstone was placed in front of Chancellor Angela Merkel's electoral offices as part of the protests.
A large crowd of people gathered in the Cannstatter Wasen area in Stuttgart, Germany on May 16, protesting anti-coronavirus measures in place to slow the spread of the virus
Thousands of protesters gathered again in Stuttgart, Munich and Berlin on Saturday, with police out in force after some protests turned violent.
Germany newspaper Die Welt said that well over the 1,000 limit of people went to Theresienwiese to demonstrate against the coronavirus measures in the country.
After the area that the police had cordoned off had filled, the police tried to send people away. Instead, hundreds of people lined the pavements, filling the area.
When Police announced that people should leave, they were met with boos from the crowds, many holding banners, with slogans like 'freedom instead of coercion'.
Thousands also gathered at a demonstration in Stuttgart, with police limiting numbers to 5,000 maximum. However, many people gathered outside of the area designated to them by police.
Frankfurt city centre saw counter-protests against the protesters, with one woman holding a sign that read 'Conspiracy theories can be fatal'.
At protests in Berlin, police could be seen using heavy-handed tactics to remove protesters who breached the coronavirus measures, or the rules of the protests.
No comments:
Post a Comment