A man walks in front of a fire on the streets of The Hague during a protest against the Dutch government’s anti-coronavirus measures on November 20, 2021.
DANNY KEMP / AFP via Getty Images
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DANNY KEMP / AFP via Getty Images
A man walks in front of a fire on the streets of The Hague during a protest against the Dutch government’s anti-coronavirus measures on November 20, 2021.
DANNY KEMP / AFP via Getty Images
The resurgence of COVID-19 restrictions in several countries has led to protests, with some turning violent and leading to dozens of arrests.
Follow police. The disruption continued until about 1 a.m., and police arrested 19 people before the show ended.
That protest also ended with five officers injured, according to Related press. One officer suffered a knee injury as well as a concussion, and the others suffered hearing damage, police said. Twitter.
Other COVID-related protests also took place across the Netherlands on Saturday, including in the cities of Amsterdam, Breda and Katwijk. In Alkmaar and Almelo, fans took part in two football games, despite recent lock command, AP reported.
Protests after a chaotic night in Rotterdam
the night before, Demonstration broke out in the Dutch city of Rotterdam with hundreds of people in attendance. Protesters are said to have hurled stones at officers patrolling the scene in addition to setting off fireworks, according to local government. Officials said when events turned messy, authorities issued an emergency order and attempted to clear the area using water cannons. Some attendees are also said to have set fire to police cars and damaged property.
The protests come in response to a three-week partial embargo announced last weekend after a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases.
Ahmed Aboutaleb, mayor of Rotterdam, said the police “felt necessary to draw up their weapons in self-defense”, according to the AP news agency. The report. Three protesters were shot and are currently being treated at a hospital, police said in a statement. Authorities also claimed that they fired initial warning shots and that officers were also injured; one person was hospitalized for a leg injury and the other required medical attention.
Police arrested 51 people Friday on charges including assault, incitement and violation of emergency orders, and about half of those in custody are minors, authorities said.
Friday’s activities drew criticism from Justice Minister Ferd Grapperhaus.
“The riots and extreme violence against police officers, riot police and firefighters last night in Rotterdam were disgusting,” he said in an AP statement. He added, “Protesting is a great right in our society, but what we saw last night was simply criminal behavior. It has nothing to do with protest.”
Thousands of protesters against the Pandemic Law being featured in the Victorian Parliament are seen with banners and flags at Flagstaff Gardens on November 20, 2021 in Melbourne, Australia.
Image of Darrian Traynor / Getty
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Thousands of protesters against the Pandemic Law being featured in the Victorian Parliament are seen with banners and flags at Flagstaff Gardens on November 20, 2021 in Melbourne, Australia.
Image of Darrian Traynor / Getty
Frustration has been growing across parts of Europe
The protests in the Netherlands are reminiscent of what is happening in many other countries across Europe in recent days. In Austria, citizens have protested against the government recently decision imposed a nationwide ban starting Monday, as well as plans to make vaccinations mandatory in February.
Thousands of people joined a protest in Vienna on Saturday, with about 35,000 people gathered in the city’s Heroes Square, Guardians report.
A few days earlier, hundreds of protesters had gathered outside the Austrian embassy in France Reuters. Meanwhile, on the island of Guadeloupe, a French territory, rioters set fires in the streets, shot at police, destroyed property and looted businesses, prompting the deployment of French authorities. about 50 members of their special forces to help restore order. island, according to Al Jazeera The report.
In Belgium, the police estimates that about 35,000 people gathered to protest on Sunday near a train station in Brussels. However, events turned into a frenzy when protesters hurled objects at officers and police using water cannons and tear gas at the crowd. Politico report. Italy and Croatia have also been the scene of protests related to COVID restrictions, and in Melbourne, Australia, heated protests against vaccine regulations are entering a second day.
Officials are warning of a new increase in the death toll
Amid the backlash, some health officials fear that many countries will have to brace themselves for even more COVID-related deaths. Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge, the World Health Organization’s Regional Director for Europe, said earlier this month that Europe and Central Asia are again the “epicenter” of the COVID-19 pandemic. He warned that failure to act could lead to half a million deaths by early next year.
“We are at another pivotal point in the pandemic’s resurgence. Europe is returning to the epicenter of the pandemic, where we were a year ago,” Kluge warned. “The difference today is that we know more and we can do more. We have more tools and means to mitigate and mitigate the damage to our communities and society.”
