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IN Berlin authorities thwarted the protest of more than 18,000 protesters against the quarantine measures imposed in the country due to the spread of the coronavirus, AFP reported.
The reason of the authorities was that the participants in the rally did not observe the required distance of at least one and a half meters between them and did not wear protective masks.
Thousands of people – adults, youth, children – gathered this morning in front of the Brandenburg Gate in the city to oppose measures against infection, but an hour later the city police issued an order to stop the protest immediately.
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“The minimum requirement of social distance is not observed by most of the protesters, despite repeated requests, this forces us to stop it,” the authorities’ order reads.
After the announcement, the protesters shouted “Resistance” and “We are the people”, slogans often used by the far right, and then chanted the German national anthem.
Berlin Police Chief Barbara Slavik warned that if protesters do not adhere to virus safety rules, police would clear the area “very quickly.” “We don’t want to see how many people come together and they are a prerequisite for infection risks,” he added.
The ban has outraged organizers and their supporters, who have flooded social media with angry messages promising to protest anyway, with some even calling for violence.
However, on the eve of the demonstration, the Berlin administrative court sided with the protesters, declaring that it was unclear whether sanitary measures and the requirement to wear a mask would be respected.
The protesters waved German flags and shouted “Merkel must go!” – a call often used by the far-right Alternative for Germany party against Chancellor Angela Merkel.
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More than 3,000 police officers, including 1,000 federal police officers, along with specialized equipment, were guarding the protest.
The rally was organized at a time when the country is marking the peak of the second coronavirus wave: more patients are registered daily, even since the first peak in April.
