Anti-Lockdown Rallies in Berlin Leave 29 Officers Hurt, 231 Protesters Held

BERLIN (Sputnik) - A string of protests in Berlin against a parliamentary vote on a bill that will give the chancellor more powers to toughen coronavirus rules left 29 officers hurt and hundreds of people detained.

Berlin police published updated figures from Wednesday’s protests, estimating that 231 people were detained for violating virus-related restrictions. A hundred people face charges, including for the crimes of resisting arrest and attacking police officers.

"During the police deployment 29 personnel were injured, a police officer had to end the shift prematurely," the police department said in a statement released Thursday.

The controversial bill, which proposes an "emergency brake" for areas with high COVID-19 infection rates, was passed by both chambers of the federal parliament and signed by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. It will become law in the coming days.