Nearly 600 People Detained During Anti-Lockdown Protests In Berlin - Police

BERLIN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 02nd August, 2021) Nearly 600 people were detained during protests against vaccination and COVID-19 lockdown measures in the German capital, while over 10 law enforcement officers were injured, Berlin police spokesman Thilo Cablitz told Sputnik.

The COVID-sceptic movement Querdenken organized the Sunday demonstrations against coronavirus-related restrictions. The protests were held despite a ban by Berlin authorities.

"As of now, nearly 600 people have been detained," Cablitz told Sputnik late on Sunday, explaining that this includes both those temporarily detained for identification purposes, as well as people who had committed serious violations.

According to the Berlin police spokesman, more than 10 law enforcement officers were injured during the Sunday protests. Police had to force demonstrators to disperse and blocked city streets and squares in order to prevent protesters from moving around and assembling into larger groups.

Cablitz estimated that the total number of demonstrators who went out into the streets of Berlin on Sunday was at over 5,000.