World News | Thousands in Berlin Protest Coronavirus Measures

Berlin, Aug 28 (AP) Thousands turned out in Berlin on Saturday to protest the government's coronavirus measures, despite bans against several planned gatherings.

Police banned nine planned demonstrations for Saturday, including one from the Stuttgart-based Querdenker movement, the most visible anti-lockdown movement in Germany. A court ruled in favor of allowing one protest, planned for 500 people, on Saturday and Sunday.

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More than 2,000 police officers were stationed around the city to respond to those who showed up despite the bans.

Meanwhile, a counter-protest called the “Love Train,” complete with techno music, drew a large crowd of its own. Those demonstrators support government restrictions to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

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The Saturday protests come amid debates in Germany about how and whether to impose restrictions for unvaccinated people, a question taking on more urgency as coronavirus case numbers rise.

Similar protests took place in Berlin in early August, which ended in clashes with police and hundreds of people detained. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)