Around 8,000 people took part in the protests in the Belgian capital, the police said on Sunday. Fireworks and objects were thrown from one group at police officers, who used tear gas and water cannons. Six people were injured and there were 20 arrests.
Opponents of government restrictions to combat the corona virus took to the streets in several European cities at the weekend. But nowhere did so many demonstrate as in Vienna, where over 40,000 opponents of corona measures were counted again on Saturday. Many people protested in the Netherlands and Italy. A Christmas market was stormed in Luxembourg.
Six injured
The march in Brussels was initially peaceful. The participants held up signs that read “Vaccination – no thanks”. A group of women chanted “No vaccination for our children”. Later, some demonstrators became violent, shouting “freedom, freedom” over and over again during their attacks on police officers. According to police sources, four demonstrators and two police officers were injured in the clashes. Around 20 people were arrested. Around two weeks ago, a similar protest with around 35,000 participants led to serious riots and street battles.
Pictures show the desert scenes in the middle of Brussels:
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In neighboring Luxembourg, demonstrators stormed a winter market after rallies against the corona policy on Saturday. The police said they had disregarded the access rules for the market and pushed away barriers. There were “slight excesses”. The Christmas market was closed. Because the demonstrators also headed for the Chamber of Deputies, the entrances there were blocked by police officers. 2,000 people took part in the previous demonstrations.
In the Dutch city of Utrecht, around 5,000 people marched through the streets on Saturday. In contrast to earlier protests in the neighboring country, which turned into violence, this time the march was peaceful. There were also rallies again in Italy. The police said the number of participants ranged from a few dozen as in Rome to several thousand in Turin and Bologna. Here, too, many did not adhere to the mask requirement. There were initially no reports of riots.
Source: Nachrichten
