Corona measures protest in Erfurt, Germany
Up to 1000 people were allowed inside the fenced cathedral square for the protest titled "Thuringia stands together." Others were watching from the outside.
Germany has seen protests against the government’s coronavirus measures by a variety of different groups. Last year, the most prominent among them was arguably one named Lateral Thinking (Querdenken). Heavily criticized by media as “corona deniers,” a label rejected by some of the group who say they just criticize the specific balance of measures, the group’s lead suggested a winter pause. In the meantime, other protests emerge, like this one in the city of Erfurt, with the motto “Thuringia stands together” (“Thüringen steht zusammen”).
The protest square in the inner city, near the cathedral, was limited to an allowed 1000 people. As capacity filed up, police closed the gates. As I walked inside and out the fenced area, police checked on me, at times asking for my press pass. When the capacity was hit, police initially rejected me re-entering, but after a brief discussion, let me in again.
It’s not easy to distill the protest messages into a bullet list as the groups at times can be heterogenous, but generally, common themes include: resistance against masks; demanding reopening of shops and schools; distrust in mainstream media; distrust of vaccinations; distrust of the current government; and asking for peace and freedom.
Below, I’m presenting some select photos I took during the course of the day. I’m not part of any group, and am covering both protests and counter-protests as I encounter them, though in this case, I did not see any counter-protest — except a banner hung from a shop, which will appear at the end.
“Every war is based upon a lie, and so is the one against the coronavirus,” the sign reads.
This protester is holding up the German constitution, the Grundgesetz. It has become a symbol seen in many gatherings, as protesters feel the corona measures violate parts of it.
Martin Lejeune covers many corona measure protests with video streams and interviews, siding with protesters’ calls against mask mandates.
“Truth, Freedom, Peace, Love,” the sign reads, words mirrored by many of the Lateral Thinking group.
“People with symptoms of a cold are not allowed to participate,” this police sign reads.
This older sign painted on the ground reads, “Crowded innery city? Wear a mask!” In the crowd, we see the German flag colors of black, red and gold.
This sign can be translated as “Media-induced plague.” The protester is wearing a plague doctor mask.
Facing the protest square, this banner above a bakery reads, “In memory of those who died in this pandemic.”