BERLIN: German police Saturday halted a Berlin march by thousands opposed to coronavirus restrictions in the biggest of several European protests against anti-virus curbs and masks to halt the pandemic.
With new Covid-19 cases on the rise, European nations are starting to tighten controls while trying to avoid the major lockdowns imposed earlier this year to contain the outbreak that has killed more than 800,000 worldwide.
Across the globe, governments are struggling to revive economies already battered by the pandemic while managing public frustration over new restrictions and masks to curb infections.
In Germany, around 18,000 people had massed in Berlin's iconic Brandenburg Gate, before the rally was forced to stop due to a police injunction because many were not respecting social distancing measures. The mass protest against pandemic restrictions had been allowed to go ahead after a bitter legal battle.
"The minimum distancing is not being respected by most (of the demonstrators) despite repeated requests," the police said. "There is no other option than to break up the gathering."
Several thousands stayed on to protest after the announcement, chanting "resistance" and a small group clashed with police, tossing bottles and rocks. Two people were arrested, police said.
Protesters waved German flags and shouted "Merkel must go!", a chant often used by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party against Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Anti-mask protesters also gathered in Zurich.
In London, more than a 1,000 protesters gathered at the Trafalgar Square landmark, many holding home-made banners.
One called for an "End to medical tyranny"; another read "No to mandatory vaccines" while one man waved a placard declaring "Masks are muzzles". Around 300 people protested peacefully in Paris to denounce the government's decision to make masks obligatory in all public places as cases rise in the French capital.
Protesters, some waving placards stating "Stop the lies", were quickly surrounded by police who handed out 135 euro ($160) fines to those not wearing masks.
The pandemic has killed more than 838,000 people worldwide since surfacing in China late last year, and more than 24.7 million cases have been registered. The United States has recorded the highest number of deaths with 181,779.—
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