Anti-lockdown protests break out in Europe amid new COVID wave

Brussels: People in different countries across Europe came out on the streets to protest against the new lockdown being imposed by their respective governments in the wake of the rise in the number of COVID cases across the continent, also being called the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, it was reported on Sunday.

In Germany people clashed with police on Saturday over the new coronavirus measures, forcing police officers to use water cannon, pepper spray and batons to disperse the people as they tried to break through their barriers.

In the German city of Kassel more than 20,000 people participated in the protest despite a court ban, and there were reports of clashes between the demonstrators and counter-protesters, BBC reported.

Chancellor Angela Merkel announced on Friday that Germany will have to apply an “emergency brake” and reverse some recent relaxations on restrictions, with the country’s national disease control centre warning that the new infections were growing exponentially as the more contagious COVID-19 variant first detected in the United Kingdom has become dominant in the country.

In London, people defied police warning of potential fines and arrests and demonstrated against the UK’s months-long lockdown.

In Finland, police said that about 400 people came out to protest without masks in the capital Helsinki against the government-imposed COVID-19 restrictions.

In Austria, about 1,000 protesters participated in a demonstration against the government’s virus measures near Vienna’s central train station.

In Switzerland, more than 5,000 protesters met for a silent march in the community of Liestal 15km southeast of the city of Basel.

Most of the protesters were in no mood to heed the warnings about the new variants being far more contagious and said that the closure of non-essential shops, hotels, restaurants and gyms are a direct threat to their freedom. (UNI)