Many thousands of people in Europe are marching and protesting across Europe following the imposition of new anti-Covid laws. Protesters lobbed explosives at police officers, who responded with tear gas and water cannon.
The majority of protestors are opposed to the use of Covid passes, which ban unvaccinated people from entering places like restaurants and bars. Following new lockdown restrictions, fresh protests have taken place in the Netherlands.
Last Saturday, people could be seen hurling fireworks at police and setting bicycles on fire in The Hague. At some places, protests turned violent and police fired gunshots on protesters.
Thousands of people also gathered in Austria, Croatia, and Italy to protest the government’s new restrictions.
In Belgium, rules regarding face masks are tightened at places like restaurants where Covid passes are mandatory. And most Belgians would have to work from home four days a week till mid-December.
There are also efforts to make vaccines for health professionals mandatory. Previously, the World Health Organization (WHO) expressed its concern about an increasing number of coronavirus infections on the continent.
According to the BBC, Dr. Hans Kluge, the region’s director, said unless action is taken across Europe, half a million more fatalities could be recorded by next spring.
“Covid-19 has once again become the number one killer in our region,” he stated, adding that “we know what to do” to fight the virus, such as immunizing newborns, wearing masks, and distributing Covid passes.
Many governments on the continent are adopting new restrictions in an attempt to counter skyrocketing infections. Many countries have just reported record-high daily case counts.
In the Netherlands, the second night of unrest occurred on Saturday in numerous towns and cities.
In the Dutch city of The Hague, masked rioters burned bicycles as police used horses, dogs, and batons to disperse the crowds. An official emergency order was announced, along with at least seven arrests.
Tens of thousands of Austrians demonstrated in Vienna after the government announced a new national lockdown and plans to make injections necessary by February 2022. It is the first European nation to impose compulsory immunization.
Croatia saw thousands of people marching in the capital, Zagreb, to express their frustration at compulsory vaccinations for public sector people.
On the other hand, Italy witnessed thousands of protestors at the ancient Circus Maximus chariot-racing ground in Rome to protest against mandatory “Green Pass” certificates for different venues.
Police are being deployed to Guadeloupe, a French overseas department in the Caribbean, following weeks of tension. Dozens of more cops are on their way.