Anti-lockdown demonstrators proclaim Freedom Day in Germany
Marchers claimed they were being robbed of their freedom.
Protesters against coronavirus restrictions have gathered in Berlin for a demonstration titled The End Of The Pandemic — Freedom Day.
It comes amid increasing concern about an upturn in infections in Germany.
A crowd of people whistling and cheering, and with few masks in sight, marched from the Brandenburg Gate on Saturday ahead of a rally on a wide boulevard that runs through the city’s Tiergarten park.
Some chanted: “We’re here and we’re loud, because we are being robbed of our freedom.”
Police estimated that about 17,000 people turned out.
Demonstrations against restrictions this year have drawn a variety of people, including some conspiracy theorists and right-wing populists.
Germany’s management of the pandemic has widely been viewed as relatively successful, with a lower death rate than comparable countries.
The country has been easing lockdown measures since late April but social-distancing rules remain in place, as does a requirement to wear masks in public transport and shops.
Infection figures have crept up over the past few weeks and officials have warned against complacency.
Germany’s national disease control centre registered 955 new cases on Friday, a high figure by recent standards.
