Police stop thousands of demonstrators in Munich – high fines threaten
Police on a large scale – Corona deniers are causing unrest in Munich
The protests against the corona measures will not end nationwide. The Munich police now had to break up a demonstration by anti-vaccination campaigners in which up to 5000 people did not adhere to the ban on demonstrations. There were scuffles and more than two dozen criminal charges.
Thousands of people protested against the government’s corona policy in the Bavarian capital. The police stopped the unregistered elevators. There were numerous scuffles. Now the participants will soon receive notices of fines.
D.he demonstrators who marched through Munich on Wednesday evening in protest against the Corona policy and who overruled a ban in the city will soon have to expect fines from the district administrative council (KVR). A KVR spokesman announced on Thursday that the reports would be completed by the police and, after hearing those affected, submitted to the administrative fines office as soon as possible. “There they are brought forward and processed immediately.” For this purpose, the facts would be examined, those affected could express themselves again. At the end of the day, the amount of the fine is determined – up to 3000 euros are possible.
The organizers had recently canceled a demonstration originally announced for Wednesday evening with up to 5000 participants – because they did not agree with the court-confirmed conditions. Instead, according to the police, several thousand people marched through the city center, some in groups of more than 100 people. The police stopped the demonstrators and determined their identity.
Police officers establish the identity of a demonstrator
Source: dpa / Lennart Preiss
According to the police, around 700 reports of administrative offenses were made, as well as criminal charges against two people who had played a “responsible role”. Around 1,300 people were sent off, and in around 220 cases the police had to “push and push”. In about ten situations, officials used a baton. About 20 people received a criminal complaint, for example for resisting the police. A 53-year-old was reported because he had illegally carried a small “cutting and stabbing weapon”, said a spokesman. In doing so, he violated the Bavarian Assembly Act.
Since the authorities had already expected major protests after calls on messenger services, more than 1,000 officers and a helicopter were in action.
On Thursday, the city announced that on January 1st, 3rd and 5th, “all stationary or moving demos” in connection with corona protests are forbidden in the entire city area if they are not registered in advance. “The general decree serves to prevent a proliferation of in no way justifiable demos with partly violent participants, in which neither minimum distances are observed nor mouth and nose covers are worn,” announced the city. A fine of up to 3000 euros can be imposed on each participant.
The organizers had already canceled a demonstration on December 22nd because of the restrictions that were also imposed at the time. Instead, thousands of people met for so-called Corona “walks” and sometimes clashed violently with the police: eight emergency services were injured in clashes. Something similar happened in Schweinfurtwhere there was aggression and violence. In response to these incidents, the police had their presence in Munich again significantly increased on Wednesday evening.