German cops on alert as protesters take to the streets

BERLIN: From anger over lockdown measures to a purported vaccine plan by Bill Gates: a growing wave of demonstrations in Germany by conspiracy theorists, extremists and anti-vaxxers has alarmed even Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Initially starting as a handful of protesters decrying restrictions on public life to halt transmission of the coronavirus, the protests have swelled in recent weeks to gatherings of thousands in major German cities.

Thousands are set to mass again in Stuttgart, Munich and Berlin on Saturday, with police out in force after some protests turned violent. The protests sparked comparison to anti-Muslim marches during Europe’s refugee crisis in 2015, raising questions over whether the support that Merkel is enjoying could evaporate.