Anti-restriction protests in Berlin: 600 arrests, police officers injured – videos
Thousands of people took to the streets in Berlin on Sunday, August 1, despite a ban by the authorities, to protest against restrictions on Covid-19. More than ten police officers were injured in scuffles.
The banned demonstrations of the anti-restriction movement Querdenken mobilized thousands of people in Berlin on Sunday, August 1, causing clashes with police, of which more than a dozen officers were injured, according to law enforcement spokesman Thilo Cablitz. Trying to prevent the demonstrators from gathering, the police blocked squares and streets, also making arrests.
Protesters arrested
“Nearly 600 people were arrested, both for identity checks and for serious crimes,” Cablitz told Sputnik on Sunday evening. He added that the police remained on the scene as some groups were still trying to gather despite the late hour.
The exact number of protesters was impossible to establish: “they did not gather in one place, but were constantly on the move”. However, Mr. Cablitz estimated their number to be more than 5,000.
One death on the sidelines of the protests
On Monday, August 2, the Berlin police announced that they had opened an investigation into the death of a person whose identity was checked by the police during Sunday’s demonstrations.
While the police were checking his ID card, the 49-year-old man complained of tingling in his arm and chest. He was covered in a cold sweat. Officers gave him first aid while awaiting the arrival of an ambulance that took him to hospital, where he later died, police said.
The pandemic situation remains complicated in Germany, despite the vaccination. This is due, in particular, to a large number of contaminants with the Delta variant.
