Police use water cannon as German lockdown protest turns violent

Police officers remove demonstrators from a square during a protest against the government's coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions in Kassel, Germany March 20, 2021. REUTERS/Thilo Schmuelgen

KASSEL, Germany (Reuters) - Police deployed water cannon and pepper spray after a gathering of some 20,000 protesters against lockdown and other coronavirus rules in central Germany turned violent, with some demonstrators throwing bottles at police.

Protesters from all over Germany converged on the central city of Kassel for the march, which was organised by the "Querdenker" - "Lateral Thinkers" - online conspiracy movement.