German police break up right-wing protest against virus measures
German police on Friday broke up in several places in the eastern German city of Chemitz groups of right-wing extremists who gathered in violation of a court decision that a protest could not take place due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The police found several prohibited groups in the evening, the police said. Up to 120 people had gathered at various locations in the city centre in the course of the evening, they said.
According to the police, the total number of participants could not be quantified due to the confusing situation.
A 53-year-old man attacked a police officer with a flagpole and injured him slightly. The man received a citation for dangerous bodily harm.
Police officers counted a total of nine criminal offences in the course of the evening, including ones for insulting others and using the emblems of unconstitutional organizations, as well as 46 administrative offences.
Two hundred police officers were deployed in the city centre.
Earlier on Friday, a Saxon court ruled that the city of Chemnitz was not obliged to give special permission for the group to demonstrate; protests are largely banned as part of measures to curb the spread of the virus.
Pro Chemnitz had applied for permission to hold a demonstration against coronavirus lockdown measures with 500 participants. The city denied the application, but a lower court ruled that the group could be allowed to demonstrate, though with a maximum of 15 participants.
Friday’s ruling, however, found that no demonstration, no matter how many participants, could take place. It pointed to a demonstration earlier this month in which only 15 people were granted permission to demonstrate, but several hundred people gathered in the vicinity.
It added that those people had acted unreasonably in response to police orders to leave the vicinity.
For a protest planned in Berlin on Saturday, police will enforce distancing rules more strictly, with a suitable number of officers to be stationed at the demonstration site, a spokeswoman said.
Over the past few Saturdays, several hundred people have gathered in central Berlin to demonstrate against the coronavirus restrictions that they feel violate their basic rights.
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According to police, there is no regular registration for the current demonstrations; under virus restrictions, demonstrations are capped at 20 participants, who must maintain a sufficient distance apart.
Left-wing groups have meanwhile criticized the protests by right-wing populists and their sympathizers and want to prevent them. However, counter-demonstrations are hardly possible due to the virus measures. (dpa)
