Querdenker, the growing group of lateral thinkers from antiquity in Germany

The protest was called by the so-called “Querdenker”, or lateral thinkers movement, which brings together those who consider the restrictive measures against the pandemic to be unjustified.

Under this label are left-wing extremists, right-wing extremists, conspiracy theorists and vaccine opponents.

Some of the participants carried banners stating “Enough containment” and “Crown rebels”, as well as flags bearing the motto “Querdenker”.

The founder of the movement is Michael ballweg, who asked his supporters at the end of December to stop the demonstrations until the boreal source which begins this Sunday.

“This is not what a peaceful protest is supposed to be,” tweeted police in the North Hessian region.

The security forces assured that there were “repeated attacks” on the emergency services, and warned: “We will not tolerate attacks of this type”. Officers used pepper spray when a group of people attempted to cross a police cordon to join another group of protesters.

According to the organizers, the demonstration in Kassel attracted 6,000 people.

A similar protest was called in Berlin, where some 1,800 police officers were awaiting potential riots, but only a few dozen protesters gathered outside the iconic Brandenburg Gate, The Guardian newspaper reported.