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Tens of thousands of protesters, many from far-right groups, have been marching through Vienna since the Austrian government announced a nationwide blockade on Monday to contain the rise in coronavirus infections.
Demonstrations against the virus reduction also took place in Switzerland, Croatia, Italy, Northern Ireland and the Netherlands on Saturday, with Dutch police firing on protesters and injuring seven people in riots that erupted in Rotterdam.
Demonstrators rallied against coronavirus reductions and the mandatory COVID-19 passes required in many European countries to enter restaurants, Christmas markets or sporting events, as well as against compulsory vaccinations.
The blockade in Austria has tripled the average daily deaths in recent weeks and hospitals in hard-hit states have warned that intensive care units are reaching capacity.
The blockade will last at least 10 days, but could go up to 20, authorities said. People can only leave the house for specific reasons, to buy food, to go to the doctor or to exercise.
The government will also make the vaccines mandatory from February 1.
In neighboring Switzerland, 2,000 people protested in the upcoming referendum on whether to approve the government’s COVID-19 restriction law, saying it was discriminatory, the public channel SRF reported.
After the Rotterdam riots in the Netherlands, thousands of people gathered in Amsterdam’s Dam Square, despite organizers canceling the protest. They walked quietly through the streets, closely monitored by police.
Hundreds of people also marched through the southern Dutch city of Breda. One organizer, Joost Eras, told the NOS announcer that he did not expect violence after consulting with police.
In Italy, 3,000 people gathered at the capital’s Circus Maximus, an area where the Romans once organized popular entertainment to protest the “Green Pass” certificates required at workplaces, restaurants, cinemas, theaters, sports centers and gyms. to travel a long distance train, bus or ferry.
In Northern Ireland, hundreds of people opposed to vaccine passports protested outside Belfast town hall, where the city’s Christmas market opened on Saturday – the market needed vaccine proof or a negative COVID-19 test.
The Northern Ireland Government voted this week to implement vaccination certificates for access to nightclubs, bars and restaurants from 13 December.
In Croatia, thousands gathered in the capital of Zagreb, carrying flags, patriotic and religious symbols, along with a banner against the vaccine and describing them as a restriction on people’s freedoms.
In France, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin condemned the violent protests on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe in one of France’s overseas territories. Darmanin said 29 people were arrested by police last night. Authorities were sending 200 more police officers to the island and will set a night closure on Tuesday from 6pm to 5am.
Demonstrators in Guadalupe blocked roads and set fire to cars, protesting against the French COVID-19 health card required for restaurants and cafes, cultural centers, sports centers and long-distance travel, as well as compulsory vaccinations for health workers.
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