Munich (dpa) – Individual acts of violence against police officers and the media were reported from Munich Wednesday evening after 5,000 people took to the streets to protest measures meant to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
Officers on the scene used pepper spray and batons against unruly demonstrators, police said.
Fourteen offences were registered, including assault on law enforcement officers and wearing insignia of banned unconstitutional organizations. Police made eleven arrests.
Munich police did not go into detail about the officers who were attacked.
Earlier, opponents of the coronavirus measures had initially cancelled a registered demonstration, according to police.
But groups of people who were apparently in contact via internet Messenger services responded to calls later for spontaneous “walks” through Munich.
Ultimately it developed into a protest and the group then headed into the city centre, where police officers stopped the demonstration.
The assembled protesters initially ignored police requests to disperse, but the unapproved march eventually broke up around 9:30 pm (0830 GMT) while a few groups remained in the city centre, according to Munich police.
A different rally by some 160 people opposed to the orginally registered demonstration went off without a hitch and broke up peacefully early Wednesday evening.
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