Over 10,000 People Participate in May Day Demonstration in Berlin - Police

BERLIN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 01st May, 2021) An estimated 10,000 people have participated in the May Day demonstration in the German capital city of Berlin, the police told Sputnik on Saturday.

"There are no exact figures yet, but we assume that there have been about 10,000 participants," a source in the city's police said.

The march resumed after it was temporarily halted until the participants would follow all COVID-19 regulations.

"We stopped the march and requested that the organizers ensure that the participants follow all necessary sanitary regulations, including wearing masks and keeping distance between the demonstrators," the police stated.

However, according to Sputnik correspondent at the scene, the demonstrators do not strictly follow the social distancing guidelines, many march with their masks down, some are drinking alcohol.

Earlier in the day, the police reported using a pepper spray against a 14-year-old in Berlin. According to the local law enforcement, the girl was openly carrying a knife at the Berlin Central Station and tried to run away from the officers who attempted to stop her.

Over the day, Berlin hosted over 40 rallies as the city traditionally becomes center for May Day demonstrations organized by left-wing political parties. About 5,500 police officers oversaw the security, over 10,000 people participated in the demonstrations.

All public gatherings should end before the 22:00 (20:00 GMT) curfew.