All over Germany, anti-vaccination campaigners are protesting against the corona policy with “walks”. But they have long been considered a demonstration – and the police are trying with all means to enforce the associated requirements.
Can walks be banned? Yes, at least they will if they have the character of a demonstration and, for example, the rejection of the Corona requirements is expressed – loudly or in silence. In this way, the police in many federal states are now classifying the so-called walks of opponents of the corona measures. This does not mean that people are not allowed to protest, but that the meetings must be registered and carried out under the corresponding Corona conditions.
“Under the law of assembly there are no ‘walks'”
Lower Saxony’s Interior Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) recently said: “In terms of assembly law, there are no ‘walks’ and the right to assemble applies to assemblies implemented. ” But that didn’t really interest many “walkers” in the end.
In Munich, for example, several banned demonstrations by anti-vaccination campaigners have now been broken up. 5000 people took part, the police were on duty with a large contingent of more than 1000 officers. “Corona walks” are also prohibited in Bavaria. Nevertheless, the police had prepared themselves, as opponents of vaccinations had called for this form of protest in chat groups. A registered meeting was canceled by the organizer shortly before the start.
Cat and mouse game in Hamburg
Despite the bans, numerous groups formed in the city. According to their own statements, the emergency services pointed out the applicable regulations with loudspeakers and addressed many of the participants directly. Larger groups were stopped immediately. At the beginning of the week before, anti-vaccination opponents had played a kind of cat-and-mouse game with the police in Hamburg. When some “strollers” were to be checked in the Hanseatic city, the accumulations on the sidewalks dissolved at the exact moment when the officers approached.
“For such walks in the open air, there are above all notification obligations and deadlines, hygiene requirements and the requirement to wear a mask,” said the Hamburg police soberly. She also points out that chairing an unregistered meeting is a criminal offense.
In the Bavarian capital, there were a total of more than 700 charges of administrative offenses and two criminal charges for people in a responsible role, as well as more than 20 criminal charges for insulting, bodily harm, resistance to police officers, requests for criminal offenses or false health certificates. In addition, the officials had issued 1,300 dismissals. In more than 220 cases “direct force by pushing and pushing” had to be used, and the baton was used ten times.
Controversial police announcement in Koblenz
In Koblenz, police loudspeaker announcements caused a stir during a so-called walk. At the end of the meeting, the following announcements could be heard on a video that was available to the DPA news agency: “We, the police, thank you for the cooperative and peaceful protest you have shown and for taking part in this walk. We wish you a pleasant journey Home. ” In a second video, a police officer said that a police vehicle would “be very happy to lead your congregation to pave your way through town. We are just waiting for your colleagues, comrades and congregation participants who have walked in the wrong direction.”
The police spokesman confirmed the announcements and told the DPA in relation to the second announcement: The lack of registration for a demo does not justify its dissolution if it proceeds peacefully. “Accordingly, a counter-demonstration, which was also not registered, was not disbanded.” Some politicians had accused the security authorities of a lack of independence.
The Greens parliamentary deputy in the Rhineland-Palatinate state parliament, Carl-Bernhard von Heusinger, told the SWR: “Given the fact that this was an unannounced meeting, the police had to be at least neutral. That obviously did not happen here . ” The police responded to the concerns via Twitter: “We take the criticism of our loudspeaker announcements on December 27th in #Koblenz, which irritated many people, very seriously. We will try to use an unmistakable language in the future adhere to the principle of neutrality. “
There is also criticism of the security forces in Baden-Württemberg. After a “walk” with around 800 participants in Villingen at the beginning of the week, the city authorities were accused of “inaction” because they had not intervened despite numerous violations of the mask requirement. The police, together with the assembly authorities, will ensure that the general decree is complied with while maintaining proportionality, according to a vague statement from the Constance police headquarters.
The mood at the demonstrations has become noticeably more aggressive in the past few weeks. In Wolgast in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, for example, two police officers were injured when a participant who was wearing protective gloves was asked for his personal details. He was “freed” with blows and kicks by a larger group. The man has since been caught. The violence against journalists at anti-corona demos is also increasing. Media representatives have been reporting on attacks by demonstrators and “walkers” in social networks for a few days now. Several journalists were attacked and injured during a demonstration in early December.
Police warn against right-wing extremists
It is not always easy to understand who is the source of the violence in detail, but what is certain is that rights will take part in the “walks”. The Braunschweig police therefore advise you to clearly distinguish yourself from the right-wing extremists. It is advisable to look carefully with whom you go out on the street, the police spokeswoman told the NDR. In Braunschweig, around 1,700 people protested against the Corona measures on Monday evening, including neo-Nazis known in the city. A right-wing extremist attacked a police officer and was slightly injured.
Sources: DPA, AFP, “”,, “” “”
Source From: Stern
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