Germany witnesses 'anti-corona' march with thousands protesting against COVID restrictions

Thousands of people gathered in Berlin on August 29 to protest against the coronavirus restrictions imposed by the German government. According to BBC reports, nearly 18,000 people took part in the 'anti-corona' protest organised by a group 'Lateral Thinking 711', which believes COVID-19 restrictions violate the basic rights provided to the people by the constitution of Germany.

Berlin police, in a statement, said that the protest was mostly peaceful but they had to make numerous arrests for criminal offences such as throwing bottles on security personnel. German authorities had tried to stop the march fearing it would trigger mass transmission, but protestors went to court which then overturned the ban.

Read: Merkel Says Germany Can Afford Economic Relief Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

Mass protest

The group that organised the protest had taken out a similar march on August 1 in Berlin, which was attended by several far-right leaders, including those who think COVID-19 is a hoax and the government is using it to clamp down on basic rights of people. Protestors were seen wearing t-shirts and holding flags of various far-right movements.

As per reports, the protest was also attended by Robert F Kennedy Jr., the nephew of the assassinated former US President John F Kennedy. While addressing the crowd, Kennedy told them to stand against "totalitarianism" while mentioning his uncle's famous 1963 Berlin speech on the same subject. 

Many parts in the world have also witnessed similar protests in the recent past, including the United States, where people had taken to streets to demand an end of COVID-19 restrictions, echoing similar sentiments that the disease outbreak in a hoax spun by the government to control people. 

Read: Germany To End Mandatory Tests For Travelers, Bans Protests

COVID-19 in Germany

Meanwhile, Germany has fared much better than some of its peers in the European Union when it comes to handling the COVID-19 outbreak. As per data by Johns Hopkins University, Germany has recorded over 2,42,000 confirmed cases so far and more than 9,300 deaths. The infection rate in the country has started to increase in the fast few weeks and new cases are reaching highs last seen in April when the pandemic was at its peak. 

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