The public sentiment ignited by the re-introduction of the corona lockdown… Radical protests in Belgium and the Netherlands

Europe, which re-introduced quarantine measures to prevent a surge in the number of COVID-19 infections, is struggling with violent protests from crowds against it. Violent protests erupted in Brussels and the Netherlands, resulting in injuries and detention of more than 100 protesters. It is analyzed that the freedom of daily life, which has been regained for a long time, is again restricted, and the dissatisfaction of the crowd has erupted.

According to the AP on the 21st (local time), a protest was held in Brussels, the capital of Belgium, with 35,000 people (police estimate) gathered on the same day to protest the reintroduced Corona 19 lockdown measures. The protests proceeded peacefully, but in the late afternoon hundreds of protesters were reported to have attacked the police and smashed cars. In the process, three police officers and one protester were injured, and 42 protesters were detained.

The protests were triggered by the Belgian government reinforcing COVID-19 restrictions and making vaccination compulsory. Earlier, the Belgian government further eased restrictions on COVID-19 until early October as the number of confirmed cases and hospitalizations decreased and vaccination rates increased. However, after the lockdown was eased, the number of new infections per day has risen to more than 10,000, and the government has tightened regulations again, such as wearing a mask and making it mandatory to work from home four days a week.

Protests against the reintroduction of the COVID-19 lockdown are taking place in countries in Europe that have raised the level of lockdown, such as Italy, Switzerland and Croatia. In the Netherlands, violent protests continued for three days in a row starting on the 19th, and 130 people were arrested. Protesters set off firecrackers, set fires, and destroyed property, appearing out of control. Some observers point out that the dissatisfaction of young people whose freedom has been suppressed for a long time due to COVID-19 has increased. Earlier, the Dutch government eased restrictions on September 25, but as the number of confirmed cases surged, partial lockdowns were reintroduced on the 13th. It is also said that measures are being considered to prevent unvaccinated people from going to bars and cafes.

About 40,000 people gathered for a demonstration hosted by a far-right party on the 20th in Vienna, the capital of Austria, which imposed a total curfew for non-essential purposes from the 22nd to the 20th. Protesters denounced the government’s quarantine measures as totalitarian, and marched from Helden Square along the road surrounding the old town. Austria, which has been known as a model country for preventing the spread of COVID-19, has recorded the highest number of new cases every day as the number of COVID-19 patients has surged since this fall.