KASSEL, Germany (Reuters) – Police in riot gear stormed a rally on Friday, removing hundreds of protesters by truck. Police in riot gear stormed a rally on Friday, removing hundreds of protesters by truck.
Protesters from all over Germany gathered in the center of Kassel for the march organized by “Querdenker” – “Lateral Thinkers” – the online conspiracy movement.
“The bottles were thrown away and there were attempts to break down the barriers,” police said on Twitter.
Police said the protesters did not follow the instructions they gave to help ensure the safety of people, including by refusing to wear face masks and follow social distance guidelines.
Protesters carried placards reading “No compulsory vaccination” and “Democracy will not tolerate censorship.”
The marchers confronted the counter-protesters wearing face masks, one of whom raised a sign that read “Vaccinated.”
As Germany is in its fourth month of blockade and vaccination efforts, compared to the UK and the US, many people, from traders to future vacancies, are increasingly recovering in the absence of a clear path to a return to normal life.
National and regional leaders are due to consult on Monday on the next steps in the national blockade. But with the number of cases rising sharply due to the spread of more infectious variants, many politicians say it is too early to ease the restrictions.
Report by Thilo Schmuelgen in Kassel; Written by Thomas Escritt; Montage by Frances Kerry