Virus doubters on silent march
DEMONSTRATORS staged a silent march through Berlin yesterday to protest what they say are violations of their liberties, in the form of health guidelines requiring people to stay home and businesses to close to stop the pandemic’s spread.
About 600 police officers were deployed to provide security for the event. Authorities had given permission for 5 000 people to participate, but police said turnout was significantly lower.
The “silent march” took the protesters through the north-eastern district of Prenzlauer Berg. It was organised by members of Querdenken (Lateral Thinking), a group that has become key in efforts to protest the health measures.
Its adherents are politically diverse, but it has faced criticism in particular for associating with right-wing extremists.
The majority of protesters adhered to rules requiring that they wear a mask or facial covering. However, a few citations had to be issued. A police spokesperson said several people presented medical forms alleging that the bearer did not have to wear a mask, but police said they did not appear to be
authentic. Counter-protesters popped up along the demonstration’s path, banging pots to disrupt the silence.
Some shouted slogans denouncing Nazis. Yet others waved banners from their balconies reading, “Think clearly, not laterally. There’s no room for corona doubters and Nazis.”
There were reports of a sit-in demonstration blocking the march’s path and isolated scuffles with police.
A group of 200 to 300 people could also be seen near the street Schoenhauser Allee, wearing black and prepared to demonstrate against the march. Similar protests were planned in Hamburg and Stuttgart, although those events are expected to be far smaller.
On Saturday, in the eastern city of Leipzig, a rally against coronavirus restrictions was cancelled at the
last minute, but police still battled to maintain order by separating its supporters from counter-protesters.
World Health Organization (WHO) special Covid-19 envoy David Nabarro has predicted a third wave of the pandemic in Europe early next year if governments repeat what he said was a failure to do what was needed to prevent the second wave of infections.
Europe enjoyed sinking infection rates that are now surging again. Germany and France on Saturday saw cases rise by 33 000 combined, Switzerland and Austria have thousands of cases daily, while Turkey reported a record 5 532 new infections.
Nabarro lauded the response of Asian countries such as South Korea, where infections were relatively low. He said Asia did not relax restrictions prematurely.