The German government, which fears overflows, has banned anti-mask activists from meeting Wednesday near the seat of Parliament in Berlin, where new measures against the pandemic are to be voted.
The Federal Ministry of the Interior announced in a statement Tuesday that it had rejected no less than twelve requests for authorization to demonstrate near the two German parliamentary chambers, one of which had already been the subject of an attempt to violent intrusion at the end of August by anti-masks.
Demonstrators intend to protest against the vote by both houses scheduled for Wednesday, new restrictive measures intended to stem the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The authorization is only given if there is no reason to fear that the activities of the Bundestag or free access to its buildings will be hampered. (…) These conditions are not met ”, estimates the ministry.
The government justifies this ban by “a call to block access to the Bundestag and the Bundesrat”, the upper house, spotted on social networks by the police.
The police also fear, according to a letter from the Bundestag security official to MPs and quoted in the German press, that the seat of Parliament and the people who work there will be targeted by “attacks”.
The Bundestag, located near the Brandenburg Gate, had already been the target on August 29 of an occupation attempt by anti-mask activists, rejected in extremis by the police.
Ten days ago, an anti-mask rally, bringing together vaccine opponents, conspiratorial theses and far-right activists, brought together nearly 20,000 people in Leipzig and resulted in violence and arrests.