45 officers injured, 133 people detained over anti-lockdown protests in Berlin
Aug 02, 2020
Berlin [Germany], August 2 (Sputnik/ANI): Forty-five law enforcement officers sustained injuries and 133 people were detained during Saturday's protests against the coronavirus restrictions and deportations in Berlin, the police said.
On Saturday, some 20,000 people gathered for an anti-lockdown rally in the German capital. The protesters celebrated what they believe is the end of the pandemic, billing it as a "day of freedom." The event ended early at the demand of police, as protesters neither wore face masks nor kept social distancing. After some of the demonstrators refused to disperse, law enforcement officers started making detentions.
Separately, a protest against deportations and fascism was staged in the Neukolln district, which is home to a large number of Berliners with migrant background. The protest turned violent as demonstrators started hurling stones at police. Two police vehicles and a local party's office were damaged.
"As of now, 45 law enforcement officers have been injured," the police said.
In total, about 1,100 police officers were deployed in the city during the protests, the press release added. (Sputnik/ANI)