KASSEL, Germany (Reuters) – Police deployed water cannon and pepper spray after a rally of about 20,000 protesters against lockdown and other coronavirus rules in central Germany turned violent, with some protesters throwing bottles at police.
Protesters from all over Germany gathered in the central city of Kassel for the march organized by the “Querdenker” – “Lateral Thinkers” – online conspiracy movement.
“Bottles were thrown and there were attempts to break through barriers,” police said on Twitter.
Police said protesters ignored instructions they gave to ensure people’s safety, including refusing to wear face masks and adhering to social distances guidelines.
Protesters carried signs that read “No compulsory vaccination” and “Democracy does not tolerate censorship.”
The protesters were confronted by counter-protesters wearing face masks, one of whom held up a sign that read ‘Vaccinated’.
With Germany lagging behind in its fourth month of lockdown and vaccination efforts compared to Britain and the United States, many people, from retailers to potential vacationers, are increasingly uneasy about the lack of a clear path to a return to normal life .
National and regional leaders will consult on Monday about the next steps in the national lockdown. But with the number of cases soaring thanks to the spread of more contagious variants, many politicians say it is too early to relax restrictions.
Report by Thilo Schmuelgen in Kassel; Written by Thomas Escritt; Editing by Frances Kerry