Berlin, May 11 (AP) The German government has sharply criticised attacks on police officers and journalists at recent protests against pandemic restrictions.

Government spokesman Steffen Seibert said Monday that while demonstrations were an important way to express divergent opinions on the handling of the pandemic, “the high aggression toward both police officers and journalists ... needs to be strongly and sharply condemned.”

Three TV camera crews were attacked at protests in Berlin and the western city of Dortmund in the past two weeks.

Police also detained dozens of people in the capital on Saturday after bottles were thrown at officers.

German officials have expressed concern that the demonstrations are being hijacked by extremist and fringe groups.

Seibert criticised the promotion by some protesters of “absurd claims (and) hate-filled, stereotypical theories that either point toward a a scapegoat or some kind of global villain that's holding all the strings in his hands.”

“Whoever spreads such things wants to divide our country,” Seibert said. (AP)

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