Berlin police break-up protest for failing to socially-distance
Coronavirus conspiracy marches are held across Europe as Berlin police break-up 18,000 marchers for failing to socially while droves of anti-maskers storm Paris and Copenhagen
- Demonstrators gathered by the Brandenburg gate before marching through the streets of Berlin to protest
- They blew whistles and brandished placards declaring ‘stop the corona lies!’ and ‘Merkel must go!’
- Parallel protests against the use of masks took place in Paris and Copenhagen
By Luke Andrews For Mailonline
Published: 05:26 EDT, 29 August 2020 | Updated: 15:39 EDT, 29 August 2020
Berlin police have broken up protests for failing to wear face masks and socially distance as up to 18,000 descend upon the German capital.
The demonstrators, who were calling for an end to coronavirus restrictions, flooded into the square in front of Brandenburg gate before marching down a main street.
They blew whistles and brandished placards declaring ‘Merkel must go’ and ‘stop the corona lies!’ as they called for a return to pre-lockdown life.
They were joined by hundreds thronging the streets in London, where they declared coronavirus was a ‘hoax’ invented to establish a ‘new world order’. And 200 more in Paris held an anti-mask rally alongside hundreds more in Berlin.
The angry march comes as Europe prepares to enforce lockdown restrictions to avoid a second wave, as the number of cases recorded kicks up to highs not seen since March.
BERLIN: More than 18,000 demonstrators took to the streets in Berlin to protest against the coronavirus restrictions
PARIS: As many as 200 more protesters took to the streets in Paris to call for an end to the need to wear a face mask
COPENHAGEN: Hundreds turned out on the streets of the Danish capital to call for an end to coronavirus restrictions
LONDON: And demonstrators also gathered in London where they declared that coronavirus was a ‘hoax’
More than 18,000 anti-coronavirus protesters have descended on Berlin today to call for the end of the restrictions
Police officers moved to break up the demonstration after people refused to socially distance and wear masks
Here a group is pictured chanting as they take part in the protests against coronavirus restrictions in Berlin
Thousands gathered around the Victory Column in Berlin as they protested against restrictions. Germany recorded 1,500 new cases yesterday as fears of a second wave of the virus increase
A demonstrator bellow as supporters through a megaphone as he calls for an end to coronavirus restrictions
Participants brandish a placard reading ‘first wave, second wave, permanent wave?’ as they take part in protests in Berlin
Officers were forced to move in to break up the crowd after they failed to take into account coronavirus restrictions
A crowd chants and claps as they march past officers without wearing a face mask and fail to socially distance
Pictures show thousands angrily crowding onto the streets in Berlin to demand a reversal of the rules.
The city had banned the demonstration earlier in the week, but a German regional court overruled the decision.
As many as 3,000 police officers were deployed to disperse the protesters after they failed to wear masks and maintain social distancing, in breach of guidelines.
‘Unfortunately, we have no other option’, Berlin police said on Twitter, adding that they had failed to comply with the safety conditions of the march.
Many were dispersed peacefully, although there was conflict when a construction container was set on fire and some roads were briefly blocked.
Until now Germany has managed the coronavirus crisis better than many of its European counterparts, with rigorous testing helping to hold down infections and deaths.
Flags blow in the wind as protesters march through Berlin to call for an end to coronavirus restrictions
Police officers move through the crowd. The city authorities had banned the protest, but their decision was overturned by a regional German court last night
A man and woman sit on chairs and blow through a vuvuzela as they call for an end to coronavirus restrictions
Protesters wave flags and brandish placards as they march through the main street in Berlin
A crowd of protesters gathers in Paris, France, to call for an end to the use of face masks in the city
They held up placards calling for an end to the need to wear a face mask in the capital
Officers surrounded the group to ensure the protest passed off peacefully and without incident
The protesters are pictured above chanting and holding up flags as they march in Paris, France
But new daily infections have accelerated in recent weeks, as in much of the world. Germany recorded 1,571 new cases yesterday, the highest figure since 22 August, when 2,000 were declared.
On Friday, Chancellor Angela Merkel urged citizens to keep up their guard against the virus.
‘This is a serious matter, as serious as it’s ever been, and you need to carry on taking it seriously,’ she said.
In London, several hundred demonstrators gathered in Trafalgar Square calling coronavirus a hoax and demanding an end to lockdown restrictions.
Many carried banners saying ‘Fake News’, or ‘Masks are Muzzles’ and rejecting any mandatory vaccination programmes.
The virus has killed more than 40,000 people in Britain.
