Германчууд амны хаалт зүүхийг эсэргүүцэн жагсчээ

Германчууд амны хаалт зүүхийг эсэргүүцэн жагсчээ

Thousands of people in the German capital Berlin have taken part in a protest against the country's coronavirus restrictions.

Demonstrators said measures including the wearing of facemasks violated their rights and freedoms.

Police broke up the protest, saying organisers had not respected coronavirus hygiene regulations.

Germany has been less badly affected by the pandemic than some European countries, but cases are rising.

On Friday it recorded more than 900 new cases and seven deaths.

What happened at the protest?

Officials say about 20,000 people attended the Berlin protest on Saturday.

Organisers had declared it a "day of freedom" from months of coronavirus restrictions.

Demonstrators held up banners featuring such slogans as "Corona, false alarm" and "We are being forced to wear a muzzle".

The BBC's Damien McGuinness said some participants were from the far right and some were conspiracy theorists who do not believe Covid-19 exists, but others were ordinary people who simply object to the government's approach to the pandemic.

While the mood at the demonstration was peaceful, hardly anyone was wearing a face-covering or observing the required social distancing, our correspondent reported.

Эх сурвалж: ВВС