German Police Clash With Protesters Angry at Merkel’s Coronavirus Plans

German Police Clash With Protesters Angry at Merkel’s Coronavirus Plans
A general view of a protest against the government's coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions, while police use water cannons, near the Reichstag, the seat of Germany's lower house of parliament Bundestag, in Berlin, on Nov. 18, 2020. Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters
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BERLIN—German police unleashed water cannon on Wednesday in an effort to scatter thousands of protesters angry over plans to empower Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government to enforce restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Protesters near Berlin’s landmark Brandenburg Gate threw bottles at police and set off smoke bombs, witnesses reported. Riot police detained some protesters while firing volleys of water and urging crowds by loudspeaker to disperse.