People took to the streets again Monday evening in many German cities to protest against covid restrictions. According to police, the demonstrations were mostly peaceful.
A total of about 23,000 people demonstrated in Thuringia
According to police figures, a total of around 23,000 people demonstrated in Thuringia . About 2,000 people gathered in the cities of Gera, Gotha and Altenburg. They were protesting against the measures taken by the government to combat the pandemic. At the same time, counter-demonstrations also took place there. No major incidents were reported. However, an attack on a police officer was reported in Jena. In isolated instances, police used pepper spray. While trying to determine the identity of one demonstrator, a policeman was attacked and insulted, but was not injured. In Erfurt, a tire on one police car was damaged.
Also in Saxony, several thousand people took to the streets. Police said a total of about 13,900 protesters had gathered in the districts of Görlitz and Bautzen alone. The demonstrations were mostly peaceful. In Dresden, an investigation was opened against three people from a group of counter-demonstrators. The police also reported that in Leipzig there were clashes between opponents of the restriction and participants of the counter demonstration. However, the police managed to prevent the conflict from escalating.
In Bavaria, a total of more than 10,000 people protested in about 200 gatherings across the state. The demonstrations were peaceful in nature. However, there were cases of violations of the obligation to wear masks. In Nuremberg about 4,500 people demonstrated against the covidium restrictions, in Ansbach 3,000 people took to the streets. In Bamberg about 1,000 people took part in the protests. Demonstrations also took place in other towns, but far fewer people participated.
Numerous counter-demonstrations in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
According to police, about 8,000 people protested in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern against pandemic restrictions, slightly fewer than in previous weeks. Police secured demonstrations in about 25 cities. At almost all protest actions, there was particular criticism of mandatory vaccination for health care workers, as well as of the plan to make vaccination universally mandatory in Germany. Counter demonstrations were held in many cities.
Also in Baden-Württemberg, thousands took to the streets to protest the covid restrictions in place. A police spokesman said about 2,500 people demonstrated in Pforzheim and about 1,000 in Mannheim.
In Brandenburg hundreds of residents participated in protests. In Bernau in the district of Barnim, a police officer and a 57-year-old demonstrator were lightly injured.
In Berlin, residents protested in front of the Gethsemanekirche church in the Prenzlauer Berg district against weekly marches by opponents of the restrictions. They were backed by Evangelical Bishop Christian Stäblein and former Bundestag president and SPD politician Wolfgang Thierse.
Police broke up a demonstration in Magdeburg
Also in Lower Saxony, thousands of people took to the streets, mostly those who wanted to protest against pandemic restrictions. According to preliminary police estimates in Hanover, the number of demonstrators was in the triple digits. At the same time, about 180 people gathered in front of the town hall in Wolfsburg to commemorate the deaths of coronavirus.
Demonstrations were also held in Saxony-Anhalt. About 3,000 people took part in a protest march in Halle, according to police. In Magdeburg, police broke up a gathering of about 850 demonstrators.
In the city of Lübeck in Szleswig-Holstein about 3,500 people took part in a protest against pandemic restrictions. At the same time, about 350 residents formed a live chain around the town hall as a protest against critics of the existing pandemic measures and opponents of vaccination.
Source: www.welt.de