Nuremberg protest against Covid measures held at former Nazi ground

A demonstration against Germany's pandemic containment measures in the southern city of Nuremberg on Sunday was sharply criticized for being held in close proximity to the former Nazi party rally grounds, reported dpa.

The timing of the protest was also criticized as Sunday marks the anniversary of Adolf Hitler's appointment as German chancellor in 1933.

There were significantly fewer participants than expected, however, and a police spokesperson estimated the participants numbered between 3,500 and 4,000 people.

In Munich, 10,000 people were expected to demonstrate on the Theresienwiese, the venue of the city's traditional Oktoberfest. However, only 1,000 people ultimately turned up for the demonstration, according to the police.

Elsewhere in Germany, some 4,000 people took part in a march against Covid-19 measures in Frankfurt on Saturday.

The crowd gathered in the city centre carrying signs saying "My body belongs to me - Free decision on medical preventive measures."

The majority of protesters violated mask mandates and social distancing requirements early on in the march, at which point the police intervened to bring the march to a halt for some time.

Criminal proceedings were initiated against one participant for carrying an umbrella that also served as a weapon. In addition, protesters set off fireworks, a police spokesperson said on Sunday.

A large police presence throughout the city included mounted police officers, units with water cannons and a helicopter. After the initial halt, however, the rest of the rally proceeded largely without incident and ended in the early evening, police said.

Saturday's march was one of the largest of the several that took place across Germany on Saturday. One march in Freiburg attracted an estimated 4,500 people, while there were other sizeable protests in Leipzig, Zwönitz, Brandenburg an der Havel, Schwerin and Cuxhaven.