Thousands Protest Against Coronavirus Restrictions in Germany’s Stuttgart (+Video)

Participants gathered in the Lower Schlossgarten in the city center, carrying umbrellas, displaying banners that said "With mask – without me" and chanting "freedom, freedom," Deutsche Welle reported.

A total of 1,500 people registered for the rally under the"Lateral Thinking 711" initiative, while police estimate that the number of demonstrators present was closer to 1,000.

The rally was organised by Querdenken 711 initiative (German, unconventional thinkers) under the motto 'Festival for Peace and Freedom - We stand for Basic Rights,' whose members believe coronavirus restrictions threaten freedom and limit rights.

On March 11, German Chancellor Angela Merkel explained that the measures were necessary in order "to win time in the fight against the virus." Merkel stressed that the goal was not to overwhelm the German health system.

Germany has fared better than many of its European neighbors, with nearly 217,000 confirmed cases and over 9,000 deaths. However, health experts have warned that the country is entering a second wave of the virus.