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Hundreds of critics of the Corona measures gathered in Dresden on Saturday - despite the ban on a "lateral thinking" demonstration.
The situation is "very dynamic," said a police spokesman.
"We have been on the road since the early hours of the morning to enforce the ban on gatherings."
In the early afternoon several hundred people had gathered in front of the congress center near the state parliament.
The right-wing group “Heidenauer Wavelength” had actually registered a rally there.
According to the police, there were far more than the registered 150 participants.
They criticized the corona measures with sayings, many did not wear a mask.
In the early afternoon, the action was at times confusing and the mood was tense.
The police repeatedly asked people to leave the place.
Videos in social media show tumultuous scenes and people without masks and minimum distance.
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Finally, according to a local reporter, a train of a good 1,000 people started moving towards the Ostragehege - there were repeated calls such as “The pandemic is over.” The police blocked roads to stop the train.
The police tweeted water cannons on the way to the Ostragehege.
There they should secure the vaccination center, it said.
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The officials assumed in advance that, despite the ban, the scene would be mobilized for spontaneous actions.
According to the police, there are several reported demonstrations in the downtown area, and several car parades have been registered.
The first had set off on Saturday morning with around 30 vehicles from Löbau - accompanied by the police.
"It remains a great effort for us."
The Königsufer, where the “lateral thinking” demo was originally supposed to take place, was cordoned off over a large area, and numerous access roads were blocked.
Among other things, a police helicopter was in use.
The officers in Dresden are supported by forces from the Saxon riot police and by police officers from North Rhine-Westphalia.
The Higher Administrative Court had forbidden the "lateral thinking" demonstration
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On Saturday night, the Saxon Higher Administrative Court (OVG) in Bautzen confirmed the ban on the “lateral thinking” demonstration planned for Saturday afternoon by the Dresden Administrative Court.
The appeal against the decision of the administrative court was unsuccessful.
The decision of the Higher Administrative Court is final.
Dresden had based the ban on the Infection Protection Act.
Accordingly, gatherings can be restricted or prohibited for reasons of infection protection.
In addition, the city relied on Saxony's assembly law.
It says that rallies can be made conditional or prohibited if this directly endangers public safety or order.
The Higher Administrative Court has now followed this.
When asked, "lateral thinking" organizer Marcus Fuchs announced that he wanted to submit a hearing notice to the Higher Administrative Court.
This legal remedy - also known as a hearing complaint - aims to ensure that the proceedings are continued.
According to Fuchs, the judges at the Higher Administrative Court did not appreciate the demo registrants' point of view.
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Fuchs also did not rule out going to the Federal Constitutional Court (BVerfG) in Karlsruhe.
On December 12, 2020, the Federal Constitutional Court rejected a corresponding urgent application by the applicant in the case of a prohibited “lateral thinking” rally in Dresden.
“Dresden free of the Nazis” also calls for protest
The initiative “lateral thinking 351” initially announced a gathering with 3000 people on the Königsufer for Saturday, later the forecast for the number of participants was increased to 5000.
It should be part of a nationwide campaign of the initiative against the Corona protective measures under the motto "One year of lockdown policy - it's enough!"
Counter-protests to the "lateral thinkers" are still planned: For example, the alliance "Dresden Nazifrei" and the Green Youth are calling for a rally on the Königsufer at noon.