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Erfurt (dpa / th) - Regardless of the judicial ban on a major event by opponents of the state Corona measures, representatives of this direction gathered in Erfurt on Saturday.

According to the police, around 500 people gathered on Domplatz in the afternoon.

According to observers, the situation escalated in part when the security forces tried to break up the unauthorized meeting and to establish the identities of the participants.

Ambulances were also in use.

The police had previously asked people several times to leave the square one by one - otherwise the participants faced fines for administrative offenses.

Many did not follow suit.

Instead, a crowd moved a little way into the adjacent Marktstrasse.

The police had issued many reprimands, and the identities of numerous participants had been determined, said a spokeswoman for the authorities, even before the meeting was completely dissolved.

Many of the people on the Domplatz did not wear a mouth and nose cover and minimum clearances were also neglected.

Some participants had candles with them.

There were also torches, posters and German flags.

The police had announced that they would be present despite the ban, because, for example, there was an indirect call to come to Erfurt despite the ban.

Among other things, the Erfurt officials were supported by riot police.

The police spokeswoman did not name the exact numbers of the operational strength.

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The alliance “Thuringia stands together” originally registered the large assembly with 3000 participants, the city then banned it in view of the serious pandemic situation with high numbers of infections.

The applicant took action against this, but failed both before the Weimar Administrative Court and the Thuringian Higher Administrative Court.

"We believe that the participants reject the protective measures on a larger scale," the deputy for security, Andreas Horn, had previously said about the meeting.

The alliance comes from different areas.

Therefore, it could not be ruled out that so-called lateral thinkers are also among them.

They question the state corona regulations and criticize the restriction of basic rights.

The Office for the Protection of the Constitution in Baden-Württemberg observed the movement and saw evidence of “extremist efforts”.