The German government condemns the demonstrators for attacking the Reichstag, the German president: we will never accept this behavior
[Global Times reporter Aoki] "Berlin anti-epidemic demonstration shocked Germany!" German TV 1 reported on the 30th that about 38,000 people participated in a demonstration against the German government's epidemic prevention measures on the 29th, and some demonstrators even held high the German Empire flag The attack on the German Reichstag triggered unanimous condemnation from German government officials. German President Steinmeier said on the 30th that holding high the flag of the German Reich in front of the Reichstag is an unacceptable attack on the core of German democracy. "We will never accept this behavior."
On the 29th, anti-epidemic demonstrations took place in many places in Berlin, and the number of participants was even higher than the organizers expected. The police said that among the demonstrators were anti-epidemic measures, opponents of vaccination, conspiracy theorists, and far-right elements. The majority of the demonstrators remained peaceful, but the situation escalated several times. Very few demonstrators had sporadic conflicts with the police. The BBC stated that the demonstrators opposed the anti-epidemic measures required by the German government to wear masks and maintain social distancing, and slogans such as "masks are muzzles" and "new normals are neo-fascism". Berlin police said that some demonstrators were arrested for throwing stones and water bottles, and trash cans were set alight. After that, the police forcefully dispersed the assembly on the grounds that the demonstrators did not wear masks and kept their distance as required by the court.
In the late afternoon, many demonstrators gathered again near the Victory Pillar. As the gathering here complied with the epidemic prevention regulations relatively better, the police did not disperse it. In the evening, some extreme demonstrators began to attack the Reichstag where the police deployment is relatively weak. Many of them even held high the black, white and red flag of the German Empire. The Berlin police subsequently strengthened the deployment of police forces around the Reichstag and used pepper spray to disperse extreme protesters. The Berlin State Interior Ministry said on the 30th that a total of about 300 protesters were arrested throughout the day on Saturday.
Demonstrators stormed the Reichstag building, arousing strong anger from German government officials. German Interior Minister Seehofer said that the Reichstag is a symbol of freedom and democracy in Germany, and the country must adopt a "zero tolerance" attitude towards such behavior. Pluralism of opinions is a characteristic of a well-functioning society, but when they "travel public rules, the freedom of assembly reaches its limit." Foreign Minister Maas also said that it is shameful for extremists to shake the flag of the German Empire in front of Congress. German Attorney General Lambrecht asked the states to take a strong response to the protests. Agence France-Presse said on the 30th that the Reichstag has a strong symbolic meaning in Germany. It was burned down by the Nazis in 1933 and was intended to destroy the remnants of German democracy between the two world wars.
The "Berlin Daily" stated that the Berlin city government had previously banned demonstrations against epidemic prevention measures on the 29th on the grounds that it "may violate epidemic prevention regulations." However, on the 28th, the Berlin Administrative Court overturned the Berlin government's ban on the grounds that it was "unconstitutional." Many German netizens accused these demonstrators of becoming spreaders of the new crown virus. Other experts believe that when the epidemic is still severe, the court should give the government special powers to prohibit such demonstrations. In addition to Berlin, recent demonstrations on smaller scale anti-epidemic measures have taken place in Zurich, Switzerland, London, England, and Paris, France. The German weekly "Der Spiegel" stated that the number of new cases in many European countries in recent days has reached the highest value since April, and they are facing a "second wave of epidemic," and social pressure on countries is increasing.