Berlin police break up "anti-coronavirus" protest after 18,000 gather with no masks or social distancing

Berlin police estimate that 18,000 people were in attendance.Berlin police tweeted that they had warned protesters several times to comply with the country's coronavirus restrictions. More than 3,000 officers were deployed to help maintain the demonstration after anti-restriction and far-right supporters took to social media to call on people to arm themselves and take part in the protest.The protest was organized and promoted by far-right groups and outlets, including the Islamophobic political party Alternative for Germany (AfD) and Compact Magazine, which was removed from Facebook and Instagram on Friday. Kennedy Jr., who is adamantly anti-vaccine and has unfoundedly compared the number of children injured by vaccines as "a holocaust," spoke at the protest.Berlin's Assembly Authority had attempted to ban Saturday's protests based on what happened at an August 1 rally, when 20,000 people gathered without face masks or social distancing measures to protest coronavirus restrictions.