Berlin Protest Against Virus Restrictions Ends in Clashes
- Smaller rallies reported in London, Paris as Europe struggles
- German police arrest 200 right-wingers on protest fringes
People gather at the Victory Column in the city center to hear speeches during a protest against coronavirus-related restrictions and government policy on Aug. 29.
Photographer: Sean Gallup/Getty Images
Police clashed with far-right protesters in Berlin and made about 200 arrests after tens of thousands of people rallied mostly peacefully against German restrictions to contain the coronavirus pandemic.
An estimated 38,000 people took part in at least two rallies near key federal government buildings on Saturday, according to broadcaster ARD. Later, violence erupted between law enforcement and about 3,000 far-right activists, the DPA newswire reported. Police also forcibly removed protesters from a restricted zone at the Reichstag parliament building.