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UPDATE: German Court Overturns Protest Ban

The Berlin Senate’s decision to ban the coronavirus protest planned for this weekend has been overturned by the Administrative Court.

That said, the protest will still be under some restrictions – the court ruled that the organizers must follow all the laws and restrictions they are protesting against.

According to a report from Deutsche Welle:

…the judges said protest organizers and participants must provide barriers in front of the stages where speeches will be held — and must regularly remind participants to observe social distancing rules and keep their distance.

Wearing masks was not included in the judge’s guidelines for the protest.

The court’s decision can be appealed by the Senate, but given the timeframe that seems unlikely at this stage.

Many thousands were reportedly travelling to Berlin regardless, as it was thought the protest organizers intended to go ahead in spite of the ban. A similar protest on August 1st (pictured above) drew tens of thousands of people [our note: hundred of thousands, in fact].

The Berlin protest is taking place alongside other events around the world for a global day of action. Protests are planned for London, Ottawa, Paris and Zurich.

Header: Thousands attend a protest against coronavirus restrictions at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on Saturday, August 1.

Source: OFF GUARDIAN