Police reportedly used pepper spray and batons when protesters tried to break through a cordon in Kassel, Germany.
Local police were reinforced by their colleagues from North Rhine-Westphalia, Thuringia and Rhineland-Palatinate. In addition, federal police forces as well as a helicopter are said to be involved.
A Sputnik Germany employee was teargassed at the rally.
"It happened when they were taking a break from work. One of our employees was slightly injured when the police used tear gas," Sputnik Germany Editor-in-Chief Sergei Feoktistov said.
Now the staffer is well and continues to work.
While in Berlin, a group called 'Patriotic Opposition Europe' are rallying throughout the city to protest against Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government and the steps introduced to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
Es eskaliert komplett als etwa 10 Gegendemonstranten auf Fahrrädern versuchen den illegalen „Querdenker“-Zug zu stoppen. #ks2003 pic.twitter.com/Xp92b0fnUp
— julius geiler (@glr_berlin) March 20, 2021
Das gleiche Schauspiel wie vorhin: 30 Minuten ziehen die „Querdenker“ von der Polizei völlig unbehelligt durch die Innenstadt, als sie von ca 20 Antifas auf Fahrrädern aufgehalten werden. Polizei räumt die Blockade und erntet Applaus von „Querdenkern“. #ks2003 pic.twitter.com/4fGM9p6ToW
— julius geiler (@glr_berlin) March 20, 2021
The rallies are expected to be met by counter-protests.
The country has confirmed 2,654,734 COVID-19 cases, with 74,608 deaths. Over the past 24 hours, Germany has registered 16,033 new infections, according to the Robert Koch Institute.
CORRECTION: This article originally said that the injured person was Sputnik Germany editor-in-chief Sergei Feoktistov.
