Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Protests against Germany's Covid restrictions turn violent as Europe moves to stem Omicron

Protests against Germany's Covid restrictions turn violent as Europe moves to stem Omicron

Protesters tossed bottles and fireworks at police in eastern Germany on Monday night in some of the most violent demonstrations against public health measures in Europe since the Covid-19 pandemic began.

Hundreds of people gathered in various cities and towns on Sunday and Monday to voice their opposition to stricter social distancing rules that went into effect Tuesday across Germany. Gatherings are now limited to 10 people for those vaccinated or recovered from Covid-19, while households with unvaccinated people must not meet with more than two other people from one other household at a time.

Some 500 people marched to the city center in the city of Bautzen, in Saxony, late into the night Monday in violation of public health regulations, some of them carrying anti-vaccination signs. Twelve police officers were injured and twelve emergency vehicles were damaged as protesters clashed with police.

Scuffles broke out in several parts of the state, Saxony police said, while television footage showed demonstrators throwing objects and shouting insults at officers.

Twenty-three people were criminally charged and another 183 were hit with less-serious administrative violations, police said.

Protesters scuffle with police officers during a demonstration in Bautzen on Monday.


The protests in Germany come as Europe prepares for a surge in new coronavirus cases heading into the New Year holiday. While there remain pockets of communities opposed to Covid-19 vaccines and social distancing measures throughout the continent, anti-vaxxers have become increasingly violent in eastern Germany, which has been the scene of many protests and where the uptake of vaccines is lower than the national average in most states.

Similar scenes of violence played out on Sunday in various places, including the Bavarian town of Schweinfurt, where hundreds of protesters also violated public health regulations to gather. Eight police were injured after being punched and kicked there, authorities said.

A 27-year-old woman was criminally charged after she was accused of trying to break police cordon in the town with her 4-year-old child in tow, both of whom were pepper sprayed, authorities said.

Politicians and media outlets have reportedly received packages containing raw meat and threats from alleged anti-vaxxers, and, earlier this month, authorities uncovered a purported plot to assassinate Saxony Governor Michael Kretschmer. Kretschmer has been pushing for people in his state to get vaccinated and receive booster shots. Six people were arrested and questioned in relation to the allegations but later released.

Germany's vaccination rate lags behind its neighbors in Western Europe, with 70.9% of the population having received both of their doses. Saxony's vaccination rate, at 63%, is the lowest of any German state. German health authorities have said that more people need to be vaccinated to protect the country from a new wave of cases driven by the increase of the Omicron variant across Europe during the holiday season.

Germany earlier this month put in place a nationwide lockdown for unvaccinated people, banning them from accessing all but the most essential businesses.

New Chancellor Olaf Scholz supports mandatory vaccinations and wants a law drafted that could be voted on by the parliament in late February. Parliament is due to meet in early January to begin discussions.

Governments across Europe have in recent days enacted new measures to limit public gatherings, fearing that Omicron could overwhelm hospitals given how fast it's spreading, especially among the unvaccinated.

Germany's Constitutional Court also ruled that legislators need to set triage rules if intensive care units fill up with coronavirus patients. The German Intensive Care and Emergency has said that only one sixth of all ICU beds in the country are available.

After reporting a record-breaking 104,611 Covid-19 infections on Christmas Day, France enacted a series of restrictions Monday limiting where people can eat, mandating more work from home options when possible, and curtailing the size of public gatherings. However, the government stopped short of putting in place curfews or lockdowns and will let local leaders to decide whether they need to implement outdoor mask mandates.

Italy will close all nightclubs and bars in January, while Portugal closed schools, bars and clubs until January 10. Spanish authorities have reinstated a nationwide outdoor mask mandate and six northern regional governments have agreed to coordinate early closing hours for restaurants, bars and nightclubs -- a move affects 14 million people, about 29% of Spain's population.

Madrid, however, will be one of Europe's few major cities to ring in the New Year with a large celebration. Barcelona and Valencia have canceled their fireworks displays in a bid to get people to stay at home. Berlin, London, Paris, Rome and Venice have also axed their traditional festivities.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
×