FRANKFURT – Demonstrations took place Saturday in several European cities against restrictions aimed at controlling the spread of the coronavirus, with tear gas used on protesters in Poland and arrests made at a gathering in London’s Hyde Park.
Police in several German cities enforced distancing rules as thousands of people gathered to express a mix of frustrations — at restrictions battering the economy and a perceived loss of civic freedom.
In some places, people also voiced conspiracy theories and anti-vaccine views. Police in Stuttgart said that the permitted number of 5,000 demonstrators was exceeded and directed arriving participants to another open space.