Berlin braces for far-right protests, counter-demonstrations

Berlin, March 20 (IANS) German police were bracing for far-right protests and counter-demonstrations in Berlin on Saturday, with officers being called in from other parts of the country to support local law enforcement.Protests are planned by right-wing groups, including Reich Citizens, or Reichsbuerger, who do not recognise the authority of the modern German state, reports Xinhua news agency.The head of Berlin state's intelligence service, Michael Fischer, described these protesters as having clear extremist tendencies and willing to use violence.They are set to march from the Brandenburg Gate to the nearby Reichstag, the building that houses the German parliament.Left-wing counter-protesters have said they will gather to oppose the march.Meanwhile, a demonstration by critics of the government's coronavirus restrictions are planning their own rally at Alexanderplatz, a major transport hub and shopping area in central Berlin.Demonstrations last year in Berlin saw tens of thousands of Germans taking to the streets to protest lockdown measures, leading to violent confrontations with police and hundreds of people taken into custody.
--IANS ksk/