Violence erupted at demonstrations in Belgium and the Netherlands over the weekend as tougher Covid-19 restrictions to curb the resurgent pandemic led to angry protests in several European countries.
Ten of thousands of people marched through central Brussels on Sunday to protest against reinforced restrictions imposed by the Belgian government to counter the latest rise in coronavirus cases. The march, which police estimated involved 35,000 people, began peacefully but descended into violence as several hundred people started pelting officers, smashing cars and setting rubbish bins on fire. Police responded with teargas and water cannon.
“We have injuries but we cannot yet say how many,” said Ilse Vande Keere, a police spokesperson. It was also unclear how many people had been detained.
Demonstrators had earlier gathered to protest against the government’s advice to get vaccinated and any possible moves to impose mandatory shots. Shouting “freedom, freedom, freedom!” and singing the anti-fascist song Bella Ciao, protesters lined up behind a huge banner saying “together for freedom” and marched to the EU headquarters. Signs among the crowd varied from far-right insignia to the rainbow flags of the LGBT community.
It followed a second night of violence in the Netherlands on Saturday, when five police officers were injured and at least 40 people arrested. Dutch authorities deployed water cannon, dogs and mounted police to dispel crowds of rioting youths who lit fires and lobbed fireworks in The Hague and elsewhere, after more than 50 people were arrested in Rotterdam on Friday.
There were also demonstrations in Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Denmark, Croatia and the French overseas territory of Guadeloupe as governments in various EU countries battle a fourth wave of the pandemic, imposing partial lockdowns and tighter restrictions, particularly on the unvaccinated.