In the past week, demonstrations broke out in many European countries to protest a series of anti-epidemic policies implemented by the government.
The number of confirmed cases of the new crown in Europe has reached a peak again, and experts have warned that if no measures are taken, it may cause 500,000 deaths next spring.
However, after many countries have strengthened measures such as blockades and vaccine passes, they have aroused strong dissatisfaction. Demonstrations and protests have erupted in the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Austria, Croatia, and Italy. Some of these have evolved into violent clashes between police and protesters.
Netherlands: Police shot and wounded two people
On Friday, riots broke out in the Dutch city of Rotterdam. Protesters threw stones and firecrackers at police and set fire to police cars.
Dutch police shot and wounded at least two people. Reuters subsequently quoted a police spokesperson saying that due to the life-threatening situation, the police fired directly after firing warning shots. According to police statistics, at least three demonstrators were being treated in hospital for gunshot wounds. The authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.
After the violence, the city entered a state of emergency and its main railway station was closed. The mayor of Rotterdam condemned it as a “violent carnival.” A total of 7 people were injured in the protest and at least 20 people were arrested.
However, the violence did not end. On Saturday, demonstrators in The Hague, the Netherlands, threw fireworks and firecrackers at the police. Demonstrators wearing hoods set fire to bicycles in The Hague, and riot police used horses, dogs and batons to drive the crowd. The Hague immediately declared a state of emergency in the city, and at least 7 people were arrested.
The Hague police said someone threw stones at the window of an ambulance carrying patients. City officials said on Twitter that five police officers were injured, and one of them was taken away by ambulance due to a knee injury.
Elsewhere in the Netherlands, two top football matches stopped briefly after supporters broke into the field and rushed to the field. The new anti-epidemic measures stipulate that fans are currently prohibited from entering stadiums.
Previously, the Netherlands imposed a three-week blockade on some areas due to the new crown epidemic. Bars and restaurants must be closed at 20:00, and crowds are prohibited for sporting events. The demonstrators also expressed anger at the government’s vaccine pass plan and the New Year’s fireworks ban.
Belgium
This Sunday, tens of thousands of people participated in the parade in Brussels, the capital of Belgium. Some protesters threw fireworks and firecrackers at the police, who used tear gas and water cannons to intervene.
The demonstrators’ protest is also due to the anti-epidemic policy. Belgium’s regulations on masks have been substantially tightened; most Belgians must also work at home four days a week until mid-December; there are also plans to list the vaccination of medical workers as Mandatory.
Austria
Last week, Austria became the first European country to include new crown vaccination as a legal requirement, and the law will take effect in February. Politicians in neighboring Germany are discussing similar measures because the intensive care unit there is full and the number of cases hit a new record.
At the same time, the Austrian government announced new nationwide blockade measures, and tens of thousands of people protested in the Austrian capital Vienna.
The protesters waved national flags and “freedom” banners, chanted “Rebel!” and booed the police.
Beginning Monday, Austria will enter a 20-day national lockdown. Except for essential stores, all other stores will be closed and people will be ordered to work from home.
Andrea Ammon, director of the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention, described mandatory vaccination as a “double-edged sword.”
She told the BBC that strict regulations may make those who still doubt the vaccine but not completely reject it, completely abandon it.
Croatia, France
In Croatia, thousands of people marched in the capital Zagreb to show their anger at the mandatory vaccination of public sector workers. In Italy, thousands of protesters gathered in Rome’s ancient Circus Maximus to oppose the requirement for “green passes” in workplaces, places and public transportation.
French authorities are sending dozens of additional police officers to quell protests on the island of Guadeloupe in the Caribbean Sea in the French overseas province.
There were also demonstrations in France against epidemic prevention measures, which turned into violent activities. Overnight, looters ransacked dozens of shops and set fire to businesses.
French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said that some people involved in the riots used “live ammunition” against law enforcement agencies and promised to respond “resolutely” to those who disrupt public order.
Half a million people may die next spring
Earlier, Dr. Hans Kruger, Regional Director of the World Health Organization (WHO), told the BBC that he was “very worried” about the rising number of coronavirus cases in Europe. Unless measures are strengthened throughout Europe, more than half a million people may die by next spring.
He said, “The new crown virus has once again become the number one cause of death in our region (Europe),” he added, “We know what needs to be done to fight the virus-such as vaccinations, wearing masks and using vaccine passes.”
Many European countries have also begun or are introducing new restrictive measures in an attempt to cope with the rising number of confirmed diagnoses. Among them, some countries have recently reported a record number of daily cases.
Dr. Kruger said that mandatory vaccination measures should be seen as a “last resort”, but a “legal and social debate” on this issue would be “very timely”.
“Before this, there are other means, such as vaccine passes,” he said, adding that this “is not a restriction on freedom, on the contrary, it is a tool to preserve our personal freedom.”