Demonstrators in cities across Europe braved freezing cold temperatures on Saturday to take part in numerous protests against the international anti-piracy agreement, ACTA, that critics say could curtail Internet freedom.

Some 41,000 people rallied in Germany, including 16,000 in Munich and 10,000 in Berlin, many wearing the grinning Guy Fawkes masks that have become a symbol of the online hacker group Anonymous and other global protests. A further 1,000 people or more staged demonstrations in Frankfurt, Nuremberg, Hannover and Augsburg.

Protests were also held in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, in the Czech capital Prague and the Polish cities of Warsaw, Szczecin, Poznan and Gdansk. More than 3,000 people gathered in the Bulgarian capital Sofia, meanwhile, with some holding placards reading "Stop ACTA" and "Right to remix."

The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), which was negotiated between the 27 nations of the European Union and 10 other countries, aims to protect the rights of those who produce music, movies, pharmaceuticals and fashion from falling victim to piracy and intellectual property theft.

The pact is currently awaiting ratification from several governments although sharp opposition, in Eastern European countries in particular, has forced some EU states including Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to freeze their ratification process. The agreement needs to be ratified by the individual national parliaments of the European Union if it is to come into force.

Opponents of the pact have raised concerns over online censorship and increased surveillance by providers.  

ccp/dfm (AFP, AP, Reuters, dpa)