Thuringia's ex-short-term Prime Minister Thomas Kemmerich took part in a demonstration against the corona restrictions in Gera - and received a lot of criticism. He has apologized for one thing.
Erfurt / Gera (dpa) - Thuringia's ex-Prime Minister Thomas Kemmerich has admitted that he behaved incorrectly during a rally against corona restrictions in Gera.
It was a mistake that he temporarily did not comply with the distance rules and did not wear a face mask, said the chairman of the FDP parliamentary group in the Thuringian state parliament. Before starting a so-called walk, he made sure that these hygiene regulations were observed. He then failed to do so, as several photos show. "I can only apologize for that," said Kemmerich.
At the same time, he said it was never his intention to offer a platform with the rally of the AfD or conspiracy theorists. But he realizes that he did just that.
He had previously been harshly criticized for his behavior, even within his own party, for example by Christian Lindner, leader of the FDP.
Thuringia's Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (Die Linke) criticized the fact that the FDP state chairman had entered such an environment, was "very irritating" for him, he told the "Tagesspiegel" (Sunday). "The organizer obviously accepted who else ran along with it. There was no recognizable demarcation from anti-Semitism or right-wing extremism." Kemmerich explicitly supported this with his visit.
Kemmerich took part in protests against corona-related restrictions in Germany on Saturday in Gera, East Thuringia. For example, you can see in pictures how Kemmerich runs close to other protesters without a mouthguard. Around 600 people took part in the demonstration according to police reports.
This is not the first time that Kemmerich has been criticized for his behavior. He was elected Prime Minister in Thuringia on February 5 with votes from the AfD, CDU and FDP, which caused indignation and protests across the country. He resigned three days after his election.
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