Some 38,000 People Attend Protest Against COVID-19 Restrictions In Berlin - Authorities

BERLIN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th August, 2020) Approximately 38,000 people participated in a protest against coronavirus restrictions on Saturday in the German capital, and the police arrested 300 demonstrators during clashes with law enforcement officers, State Minister for Berlin Andreas Geisel said.

Earlier in the day, the spokeswoman for the Berlin police told Sputnik that around 18,000 people joined the rally.

"The rally at the Victory Column began at 15.30 local time [13:30 GMT], it still goes on, but people have already started to leave. We now estimate that around 30,000 people gathered near the Victory Column. In general, during the whole day, according to police estimates, 35,000-38,000 people [protested]," Geisel told reporters.

The official added that seven police officers were injured during clashes with a group of protesters, whom he described as far-right extremists, who gathered near the Russian embassy. Geisel added that around 200 people were detained near the diplomatic mission, while overall police made more than 300 arrests during the protest.

Anti-coronavirus protests on Saturdays are organized by Stuttgart's Querdenken 711 initiative group that criticizes the government's response to the pandemic.