Crowds in Berlin defy ban, protest coronavirus restrictions

Hundreds have turned out in Berlin to protest the German government’s anti-coronavirus measures despite a ban on the gatherings, leading to arrests and clashes with police

BERLIN -- Hundreds of people turned out in Berlin on Sunday to protest the German government’s anti-coronavirus measures despite a ban on the gatherings, leading to arrests and clashes with police. Local authorities banned several different protests this weekend, including one from the Stuttgart-based Querdenker movement, which expected 22,500 attendees. But protesters defied the ban, gathering Sunday around the city. Berlin’s police department, which deployed more than 2,000 officers, said as crowds grew, officers who sought to redirect protesters or disband larger groups were “harassed and attacked.” “They tried to break through the police cordon and pull out our colleagues," it said, adding that police had to use irritants and batons.