The New York TimesThe New York Times

Germany's Vaccine Mandate Forges Unlikely Coalition of Protestors

By Katrin Bennhold

24 Jan 2022 · 6 min read

Maria Liebermann came wrapped in fairy lights and waved a peace flag featuring a white dove. Martin Schmidt carried a Germany flag with the word RESIST scrawled across it in capital letters.

She is a self-described “eco-leftist.” He votes for the far-right Alternative for Germany. They disagree on everything from immigration to climate change, but on a recent Monday, they marched side by side against the prospect of a general COVID-19 vaccine mandate, shouting “Freedom!”

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