Berlin Bans Anti-Lockdown Protests Set For Weekend Due To Public Health Risks

Thousands of Berlin police officers will be deployed this weekend to enforce a ban on anti-lockdown demonstrations.

Andreas Geisel, State Minister of the Interior of Berlin, said the demonstrations posed a public-health risk during the pandemic. He cited rising infection rates and how coronavirus skeptics “deliberately” flouted hygiene safety rules at a previous demonstration in Berlin on Aug. 1 and

"We need to weigh the basic right of freedom of assembly against the sanctity of life," Geisel said. "We chose life."

Far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) politician Jörg Meuthen demanded Geisel's immediate resignation.

The Aug. 1 protest drew roughly 17,000 marchers, with many participants not wearing masks or social distancing. Organizers named the march "Day of Freedom -- The End of the Pandemic,” with marchers yelling “we are the second wave.”

COVID-19 cases in Germany have surged in recent weeks. On Wednesday, Germany’s public health body, the Robert Koch Institute, reported 1,576 new cases. German Health Minister Jens Spahn said Wednesday that authorities would ramp up checks on travelers arriving from high-risk countries.

"At a time when the number of new infections in Germany is low, it is important to prevent the virus from spreading within the country through returning travelers,” Spahn said.

In order to prevent the spread of the virus, other controversial events in Germany have also been canceled. Rockstar Bryan Adams and German pop singer Sarah Connor were originally scheduled to give a stadium concert on Sept. 4 in Düsseldorf but the event has been postponed.