Status: January 2, 2022, 2:46 a.m.
Multiple municipalities witnessed renewed demonstrations against the government’s COVID-19 measures, marked by widespread disregard for regulations. Significant altercations erupted in Greitz.
In Greiz, eastern Thuringia, a rally protesting national and regional pandemic restrictions resulted in injuries among both participants and law enforcement personnel. Roughly 400 individuals participated in the event, according to a spokesperson for the Thuringian police’s state command center.
The disturbance left several police officers and protesters hurt.
Law enforcement halted a planned city march. Officers deployed pepper spray and batons. The incident resulted in injuries to six protesters and four officers. Recent weeks have witnessed repeated confrontations between demonstrators and police in Greiz.
Over one thousand individuals participated in New Year’s Day demonstrations across Thuringia: 350 in Bad Liebenstein, 200 in Rudolstadt, and approximately 70 in both Sondershausen and Sömmerda. A police representative stated that the gatherings were not officially recorded. Participants failed to maintain adequate spacing, and mask usage was infrequent.
Authorities in Greiz filed twenty criminal complaints, citing offenses such as resisting arrest, verbal abuse, and physical assault.
Authorities documented infractions of existing local laws and state statutes.