Cities in Europe saw protests against restrictions to prevent virus spread.

Police make arrests at demonstrations in Europe, Britain

FRANKFURT, Germany — Demonstrations occurred Saturday in several European cities against restrictions aimed at controlling the spread of the coronavirus, with tear gas used on protesters in Poland and arrests made at a gathering in London’s Hyde Park.

Police in several German cities enforced distancing rules as thousands of people gathered to express frustrations at restrictions battering the economy and a perceived loss of civic freedom. In some places, people voiced conspiracy theories and anti-vaccine views.

Police in Stuttgart said that the permitted number of 5,000 demonstrators was exceeded and directed participants to another open space. Police said they were enforcing a mask requirement under threat of a $325 fine.

The permitted number of 1,000 protesters was reached in Munich on the Theresienwiese event grounds, site of the now-canceled Oktoberfest beer festival. It was one of several gatherings across the southern state of Bavaria.

Several dozen people protested anti-virus rules to loud music in Berlin in a taped-off demonstration area on the central Alexanderplatz square, overseen by 1,000 police who enforced a 6-foot distancing requirement and a ban on more than 50 people in one place, the dpa news agency reported. Among the permitted protest groups were several dozen counterprotesters.

Germany and other countries have started to loosen some of the restrictions on movement, gatherings and businesses under restrictions on numbers of customers and spacing of seating.

Dozens of people, including a senator, were detained during a protest by business owners in the Polish capital against coronavirus restrictions, and police used tear gas against protesters. Warsaw said the gathering was illegal because it had not been approved.

Jacek Bury, a senator for the opposition Civic Platform party, said he was hurt by police when trying to defend another protester. Warsaw police said they faced cases of “aggression against police officers.” Police denied using force against Bury.

In Britain, anti-lockdown and anti-vaccine protesters held a gathering in Hyde Park in central London and were met by a heavy police presence.

Officers tried to disperse some groups, threatening them with fines if they didn’t comply. They arrested 13 people, the London Metropolitan Police Service said.