Germany: police clash with protesters against virus measures
German news agency dpa says protesters in a central city have clashed with police over coronavirus measures, with officers using pepper spray and batons against people trying to break through police barriers
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Protesters in a central German city clashed with police on Saturday over coronavirus measures, with officers using pepper spray and batons against people trying to break through police barriers, the German news agency dpa reported.
Several thousand people participated in the protests in Kassel, and in addition to clashes with police there were also several scuffles with counter-protesters.
Several groups, most of them far-right opponents of government's regulations to fight the pandemic, had called for protests Saturday in cities across the country.
In Berlin some 1,800 police officers were on standby for possible riots, but only a few dozen protesters assembled at the city's landmark Brandenburg Gate Meanwhile, around 300 citizens came together on Berlin's Unter den Linden boulevard to protest against the far-right demonstration.
Police had to intervene when some far-right protesters tried to attack press photographers, but in general, a police spokeswoman told dpa, “there's not much going on here.”