German officials banned a dozen protests that were planned for Wednesday outside the Bundestag, the German Parliament, citing security concerns.
The Interior Ministry on Tuesday rejected 12 requests to hold rallies around the Parliament building amid concerns that extremist groups would attempt to use a protest to attack Parliament, according to the Associated Press. Protests must seek permission to hold demonstrations around some federal buildings, including the Reichstag, the German parliamentary building.
A risk analysis completed by the Berlin state police “has given rise to the expectation … that attacks on the Bundestag building and on persons” were to be expected if the protests were allowed to take place, according to an email sent to German lawmakers on Tuesday by a security official.
Protests could still take place in the city as long as they’re outside the perimeter of the Bundestag.
German lawmakers are expected to vote on a bill Wednesday that would give mask mandates and other social-distancing restrictions the force of law. A majority of Germans support such coronavirus measures, but “a vocal minority has staged regular rallies around the country arguing that the restrictions are unconstitutional,” according to the Associated Press.
One protest in Leipzig involving roughly 20,000 demonstrators marching through the city resulted in right-wing extremists attacking journalists and police officers. Police ordered the rally to disband, citing a failure to comply with coronavirus mandates, but ultimately failed to stop the protest from making its way through the city. Germany’s minister of justice said that police had “surrendered the streets to ‘marauding hooligans.'”
Like much of the world, Germany is in the midst of the worst surge in coronavirus cases since the pandemic began in the early spring, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Germany reported more than 14,000 cases on Monday, more than double the May high of 6,900.
Across the United States, more than 11 million people have tested positive for COVID-19, and more than 248,000 people have died from the disease, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The latest surge has led many states to reintroduce coronavirus restrictions and strengthen mask mandates. In Chicago, health officials told residents to “cancel traditional Thanksgiving” plans.
