Logo

1 of 7
Plush pandas and Corona beer bottles decorate the tables of a closed restaurant in Frankfurt, Germany, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020.
Stuffed panda "activists" protest at the bar in the restaurant Pino in downtown Frankfurt, Germany, on Nov. 25.EPA
Italian restaurant owner Giuseppe "Pino" Fichera holds a fluffy toy panda bear as part of the art installation "Panda mie" at his restaurant to raise awareness of the COVID-19 lockdown's business impact on gastronomy in Frankfurt, Germany, November 24, 2020.
Italian restaurant owner Giuseppe "Pino" Fichera holds a fluffy toy panda to raise awareness of the COVID-19 lockdown's business impact on gastronomy in Frankfurt, Germany.REUTERS
Advertisement
Stuffed panda bears sit at set tables in the restaurant 'PINO' in downtown Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Stuffed panda "activists" protest at the bar in the restaurant Pino in downtown Frankfurt, Germany, on Nov. 25.EPA
Stuffed panda bears sit at set tables in the restaurant 'PINO' in downtown Frankfurt am Main, Germany
EPA
Stuffed panda bears sit at set tables in the restaurant 'PINO' in downtown Frankfurt am Main, Germany
EPA
Advertisement

Panda “activists” are protesting the not-so-happy-hours of lockdown.

The owner of a Frankfurt, Germany bar and restaurant is making a statement against coronavirus precautionary measures in Germany by filling his tables with dozens of stuffed pandas, in a play on the word “pandemic.”

And last call doesn’t appear to be coming any time soon.

German officials are expected on Wednesday to extend “lockdown light” through Dec. 20, Reuters reported. The public safety push — first imposed on Nov. 2 — mandates that bars, restaurants and entertainment venues remain closed, while shops and schools can stay open.

“We wanted to put some life back into our restaurant,” Guiseppe Fichera, manager of restaurant Pino, told the outlet. “They are Panda-Mic pandas.”

The internationally beloved black-and-white furballs are seated around the restaurant’s tables and propped up at the bar, some with bottles of Corona beer. (Yeah, no word on why they are swilling Coronas in the beer capital of the world — but we’re guessing it’s another, uh, play on words.)

Plush pandas and Corona beer bottles decorate the tables of a closed restaurant in Frankfurt, Germany, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020.APPlush pandas and Corona beer bottles decorate the tables of a closed restaurant in Frankfurt, Germany, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020.AP

“It is a silent protest — an offer to our guests,” Fichera said, adding that he would keep the lights on 24-7 as long as the lockdown lasts so pedestrians can revel in the furry act of activism.

Amid outrage and police clashes over Chancellor Angela Merkel’s COVID-19 measures, the German government has said it will extend financial aid for firms hit by the restrictions. Sources told Reuters that officials could inject up to 20 billion euros ($23.81 billion) in December, in addition to an estimated $10 to $15 billion in November.

Although most Germans reportedly accept the latest “lockdown light” to tackle a second wave of the coronavirus, critics counter that the law gives the national government too much power and endangers citizens’ civil rights without the approval of parliament.

Fluffy toy panda bears as part of the art installation “Panda-mic.”REUTERSFluffy toy panda bears as part of the art installation “Panda-mic.”REUTERS

With Post wires.

Comments
anonymous profile image
Powered by RoundtableBuilt on infrastructure designed for real-time media. Learn more at RTB.io.© Roundtable 2026. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy