15,000 Protesters in Berlin throng roads against the curbs imposed in Germany to stop the spread of coronavirus. Protesters say these curbs violate their rights and freedom.
The protesters included libertarians, constitutional loyalists, and skeptics of the science behind policies to fight the pandemic. There was also a small far-right presence with some marchers carrying Germany’s imperial flag.
During this protest, some danced and sang, “We are free people” to the tune of the rock band Queen’s ‘We Will Rock You’. People held placards saying, “We are making noise because you are stealing our freedom!” and “Do think! Don’t wear a mask.”
Michael Ballweg, an entrepreneur and political outsider who organizes rallies in Stuttgart and is running to become mayor of the southwestern city called for a rally.
One of the protesters said, “our demand is to return to democracy, and the mask that enslaves us must go.” He, like most of the protesters, was not wearing a face mask.
Germany has been less severely hit than some other European countries, with more than 200,000 infected by COVID-19 and nearly 1,000 dead from it. After initial success in curbing infections, they are starting to rise again.
In the initial stage people abided by the guidelines like wearing masks while going out, but now when the government re-imposed the mandatory restrictions to stop the risk of coronavirus a vocal minority is not ready to accept the restriction.
Some protesters were saying they are crushing diversity of thought and doing untold social and economic harm.
Peter Konz, a protestor said that “only a few scientists around the world who follow the government’s lead are heard and those who hold different views are silenced, censored or discredited as defenders of conspiracy theories”