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Protests Against COVID-19 Measures Erupt Across Europe

From Stockholm to Paris to Barcelona to Helsinki, EU governments braced themselves as citizens—singing anthems, waving national flags, and shouting slogans—gathered in the main squares and marched along the major thoroughfares to express their dissatisfaction with the current order.
  • Robert Semonsen
  • — January 24, 2022
From Stockholm to Paris to Barcelona to Helsinki, EU governments braced themselves as citizens—singing anthems, waving national flags, and shouting slogans—gathered in the main squares and marched along the major thoroughfares to express their dissatisfaction with the current order.
  • Robert Semonsen
  • — January 24, 2022

Stunning scenes from major cities across Europe are circulating on social media networks following a tense weekend which saw tens of thousands—if not hundreds of thousands—rally to oppose COVID-19 vaccine passports, vaccine mandates, and draconian lockdown measures.

From Stockholm to Paris to Barcelona to Helsinki, EU governments braced themselves as citizens—singing anthems, waving national flags, and shouting slogans—gathered in the main squares and marched along the major thoroughfares to express their dissatisfaction with the current order, France’s pan-European news network Euronews reports.

The demonstrations, organized by the pan-European pro-democracy group Europeans United, took place in major cities in Belgium, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Finland, Norway, and the UK. They’re are the largest to shake the continent since the pandemic began nearly two years ago.

Belgium

Brussels, the de facto capital of the European Union, saw one of the largest demonstrations to take place on European soil thus far in the pandemic, with at least 50,000 people—according to authorities—taking part in the protest. Other sources suggest that well over 100,000 demonstrators attend the protests.

https://twitter.com/MichaelPSenger/status/1485370859376103425

Protesters marched through the streets of the Belgian capital before gathering in Cinquanternaire Park in the European quarter—an area of the city where some of the European Union’s key institutions are situated.

Participants were seen carrying signs criticizing Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and the so-called ‘green pass,’ which is required to access most public places.

https://twitter.com/TheJuggernaut88/status/1485332181556031488

At some point during the demonstration, clashes between the police and protesters erupted near the European Union headquarters. Authorities deployed water cannons and tear gas as a small contingent of violent protesters, most of whom were in Black Bloc attire, hurled objects and shot fireworks.

The masked protesters also smashed a window at the entrance to the EU Foreign Affairs headquarters.

On Monday, Annelies Verlinden (CD&V), Belgium’s interior minister, announced that police arrested a total of 231 people—all of whom had diverse profiles. She called the violence “completely unacceptable.”

https://twitter.com/Synthimers/status/1485251855018045447

Sweden

Some 10,000 protestors marched through the Swedish capital, Stockholm, and gathered in the main square on Saturday to oppose a law that requires citizens to present a vaccine passport to gain entry into indoor events with over 50 people. 

https://twitter.com/MichaelPSenger/status/1484963230866817026

A separate demonstration in Gothenburg, Sweden’s second-largest city, saw between 1,000 and 2,000 demonstrators march through the city’s main streets.

https://twitter.com/TheJuggernaut88/status/1485021063105085440

France

Across the country, 168 demonstrations—all of which were organized to oppose the vaccine pass which is set to come into effect next week—took place on Saturday and together saw some 38,000 people mobilized, according to official figures from the French interior ministry.

In Paris, roughly 5,200 protestors participated in three separate processions.

Drone footage of the Paris protest against covid measures. pic.twitter.com/RxeLnpTdBu

— Wittgenstein (@backtolife_2022) January 22, 2022

Demonstrations against vaccine passports and harsh lockdown measures have been a weekly fixture in France for months now.

https://twitter.com/MichaelPSenger/status/1484966782007865347

Germany

This weekend, just several days after some 70,000 people gathered across the country to protest against the leftist government’s COVID-19, tens of thousands of demonstrators participated in marches across the country. According to a report from Die Welt, they’re the largest protests the country’s ever seen.

🇩🇪 Massive protest in Stuttgart Germany against passports.#Stuttgart #Germany pic.twitter.com/WmZACnn8ub

— Based 🇫🇮 (@Based_FIN) January 22, 2022

The people of Germany join the worldwide rallies for freedom against COVID tyranny. Global protests continue against the technocratic totalitarian dystopia that globalist elites & their Leftist allies wish to usher in as the “New Normal”pic.twitter.com/zwcebPa738

— Prodigal Son (@ThePr0diga1S0n) January 22, 2022

More than 7,500 protestors marched through the city center of Düsseldorf, alone, while more than 15,000 gathered in the cities Hamburg, Frankfurt, and Freiburg, according to official government figures, the state media outlet Deutsche Welle reports.

https://twitter.com/RomainF85487673/status/1484964186312650756

Smaller demonstrations, which saw roughly 1,000 participants respectively, took place in Stuttgart, Chemnitz, Leipzig, Dresden, Offenbach Schwerin.

Demonstrators were heard shouting: “We are the people,” and chanting slogans that lambasted the mainstream-liberal press’s coverage of the pandemic.

According to a report from Die Welt, the German government is seriously “concerned” over the sheer number of demonstrations against COVID restrictions which have taken place across the country in recent weeks.”

United Kingdom

On Saturday, thousands of protestors—along with workers from the UK’s National Health Service—demonstrated against mandatory vaccine requirements which, after coming into effect next month, will see those who refuse the jab lose their jobs. While some healthcare workers were seen tossing their scrubs at officers outside of Downing Street, others laid down their work uniforms in Trafalgar Square.

https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1484925299406090246

London protests against COVID law today and for freedom. pic.twitter.com/KlX8MQGZY0

— Aaron Ginn (@aginnt) January 23, 2022

Similar demonstrations against vaccine mandates took place in Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, and Newcastle.

Spain

Last week, some 1,000 protestors, some of whom waved banners saying “It’s not a pandemic, it’s a dictatorship,” marched through the streets of Barcelona to express their displeasure with the government’s COVID-19 restriction and to oppose vaccine passports.

🇪🇸 Spain – Barcelona [Jan 15, 2022]

Huge protests today in #Spain, as well in whole Europe against vax mandates & passports!#NoVaccinePassports #NoGreenPass #NoAlPaseSanitario #DoNotComply #NonAuPassVaccinal #PassaporteSanitarioNao #Freiheit #nejtillvaccinpass #Freedomrally pic.twitter.com/U9y1P5eY7m

— 🏛️ BMedia 🇳🇱📵 (@BananaMediaQ) January 15, 2022

Finland

On Saturday afternoon, roughly 4,000 people gathered at Senate Square in central Helsinki to protest against COVID-19 restrictions enacted by the country’s left-wing government, Finland’s state broadcaster Yle reports. Demonstrators voiced their opposition to vaccine passports and mandates and called on the government to put an end to the emergency powers put in place at the beginning of the pandemic. A smaller demonstration also took place in the city of Jyväskylä.

A huge protest today in Finland to call for an end to COVID emergency powers. pic.twitter.com/lLn277g442

— Aaron Ginn (@aginnt) January 22, 2022
https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1484918135887118338

Norway

Hundreds of Norwegians also opposed to vaccine passports took part in a torchlit procession through the streets of Oslo on Saturday evening.

Demonstrators were heard chanting: “Yes to freedom, no to passports.”

MASSIVE freedom protest in Norway today.

Thousands took to the streets to protest in Oslo. The march was so long I couldn't get it all on video.

"Yes to freedom, no to covid passports"

I'm reporting on the scene. pic.twitter.com/Tn56N6cVHD

— PeterSweden (@PeterSweden7) January 22, 2022
Robert Semonsen is a political journalist for The European Conservative. His work has been featured in various English-language news outlets in Europe and the Americas. He has an educational background in biological and medical science. His Twitter handle is @Robert_Semonsen.
  • Tags: Belgium, COVID-19, demonstration, Finland, France, Germany, Norway, Protests, Sweden, UK, vaccine passports

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