(Berlin) Forty-five police officers were injured during the demonstrations on Saturday in Berlin, including one that brought together thousands of protesters demanding the abolition of restrictive measures to fight COVID – 19, police said on Sunday, while new and smaller gatherings were held in the capital.
Posted on August 2 2020 at 10 h 04
France Media Agency
Three policemen, hit in the face by broken windows, had to be hospitalized, said the police, indicating that in total 40 people were arrested during the protests on Saturday.
Some 20 000 people, according to police estimates, took part on Saturday in Berlin in a motley demonstration bringing together “free thinkers”, anti-vaccine activists, conspiracy supporters and supporters of far right. Protesters, most of whom wore no masks and did not respect Germany's legal 1.5-meter physical distancing, headed for the Brandenburg Gate.
Police had started to disperse the protesters late in the afternoon, but hundreds of them stayed late that evening at the Brandenburg Gate.
PHOTO CHRISTIAN MANG, REUTERS
The police filed a complaint against the organizer of the event because of “non-compliance with hygiene rules”.
During a separate anti-fascist demonstration in the district of Neukoelln, in the south of the Berlin metropolitan area, protesters threw stones at the police, detonated fireworks and damaged two police vehicles and local party offices.
Several police officers were injured, including the three who were hospitalized.
A total of 924 police officers had been deployed on Saturday at the scene of the demonstrations.
A few hundred demonstrators gathered at the Brandenburg Gate on Sunday, according to an AFP journalist. Most wore masks and respected physical distancing.
If Germany has so far been rather spared by the pandemic which has left less than 2020 dead, the authorities alarm of a slow resumption of infections. Politicians criticized Saturday's rally, deeming it irresponsible.
“Yes, demonstrations should be possible in this period of coronavirus, but not in this way,” said Minister of Health Jens Spahn, stressing the need to respect barrier gestures.
