German Police Disperses Protesters against Corona Restrictions in Berlin

Thousands of Germans gathered in central Berlin Wednesday to protest the plans of Chancellor Angela Merkel which aims to give her government more powers to tighten restrictions related to confronting the Corona pandemic.

Police officers lined up opposite the parliament headquarters, to prevent the demonstrators from approaching the building.

But the Russian "Ruptly" agency broadcast footage showing the police used water cannons to disperse the protesters.

They arrested a number of demonstrators, under the pretext that they did not wear protective masks.

Later today, the German parliament in both its chambers is expected to pass legislation that allows the government to impose restrictions on citizens' social contact, tighten rules for wearing facial masks, drinking alcohol in public places, closing shops, and canceling sports competitions.

Although the closure measures are accepted by most Germans in light of the second wave of the Corona pandemic, critics of the new legislation believe that they give the government excessive powers and endanger the civil rights of citizens.

German Foreign Minister, Heiko Maas responded to the critics of the planned amendments to the law to protect the population from infectious diseases.

He said that the government is keen that any restriction of our lives is well justified and clearly clear. The open and sharp discussions in Parliament are a guarantee.

Maas also responded to those who likened the proposed amendments to the "Empowerment Law" that granted emergency powers to the government of the leader of the Nazis, Adolf Hitler, in 1933.

He stressed that the Nazis used the notorious law to destroy democracy, but today we are doing something with the law protecting the population from infectious diseases.

On the other hand, the Robert Koch Institute, concerned with infectious and unknown diseases in Germany, previously reported today that the infections with the Coronavirus ( known also as COVID-19)  in the country have risen to 833,307 cases after 17,561 new infections were recorded during the past 24 hours.

According to the data released by the institute,  the total number of deaths remained at its previous level at 13,119 deaths since the outbreak of the pandemic until today.