Unrest In Germany Triggered By The COVID-19 Conspiracy Theory

Photo illustration (Andrew Donovan / Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Demonstrations demanding an end to social restrictions due to COVID-19 are chaotic in Germany. The demonstration was triggered by the belief of the participants in the action about COVID-19 as a conspiracy theory.

The protests were initially peaceful. However, when protesters refused to disperse from the Brandenburg Gate and remained there late into the night, the police took action to disperse the crowd. Chaos was inevitable. Stones were thrown, fireworks were burned, and police vehicles were damaged.

It was recorded that 45 policemen were injured, in which three of them were in intensive care because they were hit by broken glass on their faces. Meanwhile, 133 protesters were arrested over the riots on Saturday, August 1. Launching CNA, 20 thousand protesters who took to the streets are groups of left and right. Most of them reportedly refused to wear masks and kept their physical distance.

They even shouted, "We are the second wave" and called COVID-19 the "biggest conspiracy theory of the moment." In Germany, groups that began to believe in the pandemic as engineering by a global elite began to expand.

#BREAKING: Huge protest now in #Berlin, #Germany. They demonstrante against #Corona and against the government and they refuse to wear masks. Also no distance rules! # Protests2020 #COVID # Covid_19 #COVIDIOTS #COVIDIOT #CoronaVirusDE #lockdown #ZweiteWelle # 1agosto # 1agustos pic.twitter.com/xbL1DaEYhn

- Faruk Firat (@ FarukFirat1987) August 1, 2020

German Health Minister Jens Spahn also commented on the demonstration. "Yes, demonstrations are possible when COVID-19 is endemic. But it's not like this," he said.

"Distance, hygiene rules and masks serve to protect us all. So we must treat each other with respect," he added.