Anti-lockdown protests sweep Europe amid third wave of COVID

WASHINGTON (Sinclair Broadcast Group) — Anti-lockdown protests took place this weekend in over a dozen European countries in response to strict government restrictions to control a third wave of COVID-19 infections.

The sentiment swept across the continent with demonstrations in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Romania, Serbia, Sweden, the United Kingdom and others. Meanwhile, France and Poland announced tighter lockdown measures as new virus variants spread and the European Union's vaccination program stalls.

Unlike the United States, European lockdown measures have been more severe, demanding prolonged shutdowns of nonessential businesses, schools and travel restrictions. In its earlier lockdowns, France required citizens to carry documents explaining why they were out of their homes. Residents were limited to one hour of outdoor exercise per day, including walking a pet.

The United Kingdom continues to prohibit gatherings of more than two people outside the home, including for peaceful protests. Germany banned residents from traveling more than 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) from their homes if they lived in high-risk areas and the European Union adopted travel restrictions throughout the 27-member bloc.

Now, 12 months into the pandemic, many Europeans are frustrated, fatigued and taking to the streets, largely unmasked, in defiance of public health orders.

Swedish authorities dispersed hundreds of protesters in Stockholm who gathered in violation of the government's restrictions on large gatherings. Video showed protesters being arrested and holding signs that read, "Freedom for security," "Stop dictatorship," and "They inject us with poison." Unlike other countries, Sweden remained open during the early part of the pandemic but implemented tougher restrictions as cases accelerated in the winter

In the Netherlands, police fired water cannons at hundreds of protesters who gathered in Amsterdam's Museum Square, a popular site for demonstrations.

Italians took to the streets against restrictions that have closed schools, businesses, restaurants, cafes and left the entire country under a 10 p.m. curfew.

Roughly 20,000 people showed up in the central German city of Kassel to protest the lockdown, according to Deutsche Welle. Police used pepper spray, batons and water cannons to disperse demonstrators. Another 500 demonstrators took to the streets in Berlin.

The unrest followed a Friday announcement by German Chancellor Angela Merkel that the country's leaders would "pull the emergency brake" and reinstate lockdowns on schools and businesses through April.

The largest number of arrests occurred in London after thousands took to the streets in violation of nationwide pandemic restrictions that specifically forbid protest gatherings. Demonstrators hurled bottles and other projectiles at police, trying to break up the crowds. Close to three dozen people were arrested Saturday during the clashes.

It was a dramatic reaction to what activists see as an undemocratic law masked in public health authorities. The U.K. law strictly limits the reasons a person can leave their home and imposes fines of up 10,000 ($13,864) for anyone charged with holding a gathering or more than 30 people. Ahead of the protests, the London Metropolitan Police reiterated the law stating, "The right to protest must be balanced against the rights of others and the protection of public health."

Protesters held signs that denounced government "tyranny" and called the pandemic restrictions "A cure worse than the disease." Big Brother Watch, a civil liberties campaign, argued, "A country cannot be described as a democracy if people do not have the freedom to protest." The group is working with members of the British Parliament who are calling to end protest exemptions in coronavirus regulations. The protest restrictions are set to expire next week.

Police have also come under scrutiny for forcibly breaking up a candlelit vigil to denounce violence against women.

The protests across Europe were part of a Worldwide Rally for Freedom, organized to oppose government-imposed coronavirus mandates and supported by conspiracy groups. They were also a sign of resentment against the way many European governments have handled the pandemic.

"You can imagine the frustration," said Heather Conley, director of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "It's really a perfect storm of issues."

First, European lockdowns have been more restrictive than what most Americans experienced, even at the beginning of the pandemic. Second, Europe has been dealing with the B.1.1.7 variant, which originated in the U.K. and is more contagious and potentially more deadly than other strains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. That has put added strain on health care resources.

Paris hospitals reached capacity last week and began transferring patients to other regions. Poland hospitals are under pressure as the number of new cases exceeds the height of the November surge.

"No government wants to do this," Conley said of the third lockdown."But the fact of the matter is, Europe has to do this because the hospital systems are going to be overwhelmed again."

Third, some parts of Europe have struggled to provide relief for workers and businesses impacted by coronavirus lockdowns. Unemployment also remains high, at 8.2% across the Euro area.

Unlike the United States, which spent trillions of dollars in direct payment checks, unemployment assistance and small business loans, Europe's relief effort was decentralized. States with larger budgets, like Germany, were able to provide more support. Furloughed German workers can receive up to 87% of their pre-pandemic wages through the end of 2021. Countries like Italy and Spain, hard-hit by the virus, unemployment and fiscal instability, have to rely on a European Union recovery fund, that likely won't be available until 2022.

Finally, much of Europe has been frustrated by the slow rollout of vaccines across the continent.

The European Union signed agreements for hundreds of millions of vaccines from BioNTech-Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca. Altogether the EU has lined up 2.6 billion vaccine doses to be delivered by the end of 2021.

However, out of a population of 447 million people, recent data show only 70 million vaccines have been delivered and 51 million shots have been administered. By comparison, Great Britain, now separated from the EU, has administered more than 28 million shots and currently has the second-highest rate of any nation for vaccine doses per 100 people.

There was no single flaw in the EU's vaccination plan but a series of technical and administrative missteps. Several promising vaccine candidates failed. Others have been plagued by supply shortages and production delays. Europe was also unwilling to secure the deals the United States got by financing and quarterbacking the development and production of vaccines.

"They assumed that simply contracting to acquire doses would be enough," Dr. Moncef Slaoui, chief science adviser on the Trump administration's Operation Warp Speed told The New York Times. "In fact what was very important was to be a full, active partner in the development and the manufacturing of the vaccine. And to do so very early."

Europe now faces complicated issues over vaccine effectiveness, public skepticism as well as ethical and privacy questions about a "digital green pass," or vaccine passport to allow EU citizens to cross borders.

Several protesters came out over the weekend to demonstrate their opposition to the COVID-19 vaccine, holding signs that read, "Vaccines kill." One swiss woman demanded freedom from the vaccine. "We are not here for experimental issues," she told France24.

These issues were exacerbated when several EU member states halted the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine after several incidents of blood clots and questions about its efficacy in adults over 65. Most countries resumed giving the Astra Zeneca doses after reassurances from the EU's drug regulator. However, over the weekend, there were reports that two Danish hospital personnel experienced brain hemorrhages after receiving the shot. One person died.

The confusion and safety concerns, on top of manufacturing delays, have left most European countries far behind the U.K., the United States and other advanced countries in vaccinating people. Most EU member states have vaccinated fewer than 5% of their populations. In the United States, which also has significant vaccine hesitancy, 1 in 3 American adults has received at least one COVID-19 shot and 14% of the population is fully vaccinated.