Muzzle puzzle
Those normally compliant Germans are up in arms over their government's COVID-19 restrictions, complaining that they violate their rights and freedoms. The restrictions include wearing face coverings in shops and on public transport; social distancing rules; and hygiene requirements. France could do with the latter.
An official estimate put at least 15,000 protesters in Berlin for Tag Freiheit
—Freedom Day
—and they were neither wearing face coverings, nor social distancing, although the BBC's report didn't mention whether or not they had washed their hands beforehand. While some of their number were the usual suspects, the far right and conspiracy theorists, others were simply ordinary people who object to the government's approach to the pandemic.
Protesters held up banners featuring such slogans as "Corona, false alarm", "We are being forced to wear a muzzle". … "Our demand is to go back to democracy. Away with these laws that have been imposed on us, away with the masks that make us slaves," said one woman.
I fully support the protesters' rejection of mandatory facemasks, although—given that Chancellor Angela Merkel doesn't look like she's had a day of fun in her life, and has a face that's distinctly improved by wearing a mask—I don't hold out too much hope for their success, democracy or not. And, adding insult to injury, the police have launched legal action against organisers for not respecting coronavirus hygiene rules
. Who said that the German police don't have a sense of irony?
But I am curious about the conspiracy theorists in the protesters' midst. Apparently, they don't believe that COVID-19 exists, so obviously they have no concern about marching en masse without facemasks. But did they still wear their tinfoil hats?