Using water cannon and tear gas, German police in downtown Berlin broke up a major demonstration protesting regulations implemented to stop the rampant spread of the coronavirus in the nation, the Associated Press reports.
Police warned the packed crowd that they must adhere to public health regulations to put on mask and respect social distancing guidelines. The crowd ignored the order, so police worked to forcibly disperse the demonstration.
The police did not aim the high-powered water cannon directly at the protestors because of children and elderly people in the crowd. Instead, they drenched the crowd and then slowly worked through the group to break it up. More than 100 people were arrested.
The German government is considering passing legislation that would allow it to implement mandatory rules relating to mask-wearing and social-distancing in public, as well as closing shops and businesses.
Like many European nations, Germany is in the midst of the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, with the seven-day moving average of new cases tripling in the last month.