Counter-demonstrators of a rally against the Corona measures gather and hold out a banner reading “Masks on Nazis out” in Berlin, Germany, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020. (Christophe Gateau/dpa via AP)
BERLIN — Tens of thousands of people are taking part in a protest in Berlin against pandemic restrictions after a court overturned a ban issued by authorities in the German capital.
Some among the crowd Saturday waved American, Russian or German Reich flags, while others wore T-shirts promoting the “Q” conspiracy theory or denouncing Germany’s limited rules requiring the wearing of masks.
The Berlin regional government had sought to ban the protest, citing rallies earlier this month where rules intended to stop the virus being spread weren’t respected. Protest organizers successfully appealed the decision, though a court ordered them to ensure social distancing — a measure that wasn’t being enforced Saturday.