A group of young deniers forces the entrance of a Christmas market in Luxembourg. To access, a vaccination certificate or a negative test is requested. The new restrictions approved to curb the increase in coronavirus infections have sparked protests in some European countries.
Among them, Brussels, where some 8,000 people have demonstrated against the restrictions imposed to curb infections and criticize the increasingly harsh measures. The Belgian Government has already warned that they are essential because hospitals they don’t have enough beds. The cases in children are also increasing, hence the mask becomes mandatory after 6 years. But as new rules are applied, a part of the population shows its frontal rejection.
They protest against restrictions, against the COVID passport or against the mandatory vaccine for health personnel and firefighters because they consider it “contrary to fundamental rights and discriminatory.” In the country, the coronavirus data stands at record figures with respect to the accumulated incidence, reaching 2,127 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 14 days.
A huge police force is deployed to try to prevent a repeat of the violent riots of 2 weeks ago that left more than 40 detainees, 3 injured and numerous material damage. There are agents in uniform, but also plainclothes agents, since the intelligence services warn of a growing social unrest against the covid measures.
Polarized society
The worst thing is that the authorities warn that it is a speech that sometimes manifests itself violently and that it is beginning to permeate society. According to the Belgian Coordinating Body for the Analysis of Threats, these speeches favor “a greater polarization, extremism and threats“.
In general, the demonstration has passed peacefully, although in streets near the European Commission and the Council of Europe some projectiles. This prompted the police to activate water cannons and use tear gas.
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