Protesters against vaccination order in Belgium clash with police European Union News

Belgian police fired water cannons on Sunday to disperse protesters against compulsory health measures against the coronavirus pandemic.

Around 8,000 people flocked to the European Union headquarters in Brussels to shout, “Freedom!” and throwing fireworks.

Crowds marched last month with less than 35,000 vaccines and less than skeptical blockade.

Demonstrators were prevented from reaching the roundabout outside the EU headquarters by a wire barricade and a line of riot police.

Two drones and a helicopter were circling over their heads, throwing fireworks and beer cans. Police responded with a water cannon and tear gas.

As people dispersed in smaller groups around the European neighborhood, there were more clashes and some set fire to the garbage barricade.

Demonstrations in European cities

Several European countries have seen demonstrations in recent weeks by governments a Rise in COVID cases with stricter restrictions.

Sunday protest organizers hoped to match the demonstration of November 21, when the police seemed to be caught unexpectedly when the demonstration became violent.

Demonstrators protested against mandatory health measures, such as masks, blockades and vaccination cards, and some share conspiracy theories.

Sunday’s banners compared the stigmatization of unvaccinated people to their treatment of Jews forced to wear yellow stars in Nazi Germany.

“Covid = Organized Genocide,” a sign said. “The QR code is a swastika,” said another, referring to the EU’s secure digital COVID certificate.

“I can’t stand any discrimination, and now there’s a discriminatory vaccine passage, penalties [unvaccinated] discriminatory caregivers are also a compulsory vaccine on our way, ”said one martial arts teacher, Alain Sienaort, who told Reuters.

“All of this is discrimination, so we have to deal with it. We don’t want a dictatorship. “

The parents, some of whom took their young children to the protest, believed the vaccine would make the children sick.

Uniformed firefighters in uniform marched through the city to protest the right to be denied the vaccine.

Measures to combat COVID in Belgium were decided by the country’s national and regional governments, but the European Union has also angered skeptics.

Compulsory vaccination

On Wednesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it was “time to think about the compulsory vaccination”, a suggestion denounced by protesters.

On Friday, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo announced a number of measures to tighten health regulations, bringing the school holidays ahead of Christmas and requiring children over the age of six to wear masks.

Belgium, with a population of 11 million, has recorded an average of more than 17,800 infections in the last seven days with COVID-19 every day, as well as 44 deaths.

About 800 people with severe forms of the disease are in intensive care in hospitals across the country, causing overflow and delaying the treatment of many other conditions.

In addition, Austrian police said 40,000 people had gathered in the capital, Vienna, on Saturday to denounce the blockade, which will take effect on Monday, and a mandatory vaccination starting in February.

Demonstrators had placards saying “No to vaccination orders” or “Jesus protects children, not vaccinations.” Many rejected the requirements of the mask.

Police said four officers were injured when a drunken protester was arrested.

There were also protests in Luxembourg, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands over the weekend.