Several thousand people gathered in Munich and other parts of Germany to protest regulations to prevent the coronavirus from spreading, as officials introduce rules to combat the new and more transmissible Omicron strain of the coronavirus.
Around 3,000 people attended a protest in central Munich against measures to curb the spread of Covid-19 on Wednesday evening, police said.
Police formed a chain to prevent the protesters from heading through a central pedestrian area, and officers occasionally used force to counter isolated attempts to break through. Around 1,000 police officers were deployed.
Further demonstrations were held in other towns in Bavaria, with people joining protest "walks" held by anti-vaxxers and opponents of pandemic restrictions.
Around 400 people gathered in the Bavarian city of Würzburg, while 120 people joined a counter demonstration.
Police said around 1,000 people had joined a registered meeting under the motto "Health on your own responsibility."
Meanwhile sme 1,600 people protested against measures in the north-eastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern on Wednesday evening, according to the police. The organizers had expected a far higher turnout.
