The rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany has developed from a public health threat to a violent social upheaval which has pivoted in the eruption of an anti-lockdown protest movement. This movement is closely associated with general social problems in Germany. The aggravation of social inequality and “lockdown fatigue” contributed to the outbreak of the protests. Compared with traditional demonstrations，the scale and duration of these anti-lockdown protests are unprecedented. This can be attributed to two new characteristics：on the one hand，the diversity of the participants in the protests；on the other hand，the speedy spread of conspiracy theories and disinformation via social media. The protest movements have increased the challenge of fighting the pandemic and caused social instability. Due to Germany’s effective curbing of the spread of COVID-19-related disinformation as well as a sharp decline in populist attitudes，trust in the government’s measures regarding pandemic prevention and control prevails，however，in public opinion. Nevertheless，given the uncertainty regarding the development of the pandemic and the risk of a return of populism，social tensions are still likely to loom ahead. How to maintain social stability，solidarity and equality while implementing the lockdown measures remains a thorny issue for the federal government.