Thousands of counter-demonstrators in Constance also turned out to show support for the government’s measures to contain the coronavirus while also protesting against right-wing supporters in the other group, police said.
Overall, police counted between 10,500 and 11,000 people taking part in the different demonstrations on Saturday and the two-day protests continued on Sunday with sunny weather likely to draw in further participants, a police spokesman said.
“So far, the situation is calm,” the police spokesman added.
Organizers of the protests against coronavirus curbs had initially hoped to mobilize more than 200,000 people.
Local authorities had imposed restrictions such as respecting social distancing to avoid further infections. They also banned the use of Germany’s imperial Reichsflagge, a symbol used by neo-Nazis and other far-right groups as an alternative to the forbidden swastika flag.
The marches have attracted a mixed crowd of civil rights activists and people who oppose vaccinations, as well as neo-Nazis and members of far-right groups including the opposition party Alternative for Germany (AfD).
During mass marches against coronavirus curbs in Berlin in late August, protesters stormed the steps of the Reichstag parliament building, some of them holding far-right Reichsflagge. The images went around the world and were condemned by leading German politicians.
Germany so far has managed the COVID-19 pandemic relatively well by keeping infections and deaths low compared to other European countries during the first wave in spring.
But infection numbers are rising again and authorities are mulling further restrictions which could limit public life and slow down the economic recovery after Germany suffered its worst recession on record in the first half of the year.
Flouting virus rules, thousands of people attended protests and counter-demonstrations in the German city of Konstanz. Far fewer than the expected number of protesters participated in the weekend’s rallies.
Several hundred protesters gathered on Sunday in the southern German city of Konstanz, marking the city’s second day of protests against government-imposed coronavirus measures.
A police spokesperson said a total of 12 rallies with up to 11,000 participants were planned for Sunday, adding that 3,500 people had registered for protests in advance. Over the course of Sunday, police said about 2,000 people took part in the rallies.
Counter-protesters were also in the city for a number of events with live music close to the Swiss border later on Sunday, with police saying 1,000 people in attendance.
Police fired tear gas once to keep opposing groups away from each other.
Earlier on Sunday, hundreds of people flouted virus measures and joined an outdoor church service.
Police, who were deployed to ensure participants adhered to coronavirus rules, clashed with protesters at the church after most failed to wear a face mask, Germany’s DPA news agency reported.
Protesters create human chain
Sunday’s events come a day after several thousand people gathered in Konstanz to protest Germany’s coronavirus policy. Protesters had tried to form a human chain around the shores of Lake Constance from Konstanz to the city of Lindau.
According to police, the human chain could not be closed as there were not enough people to stretch halfway around the lake.
Organizers had anticipated up to 130,000 people to show up, but police said only 10,000 to 11,000 people took part along protest the route.
