Large-scale demonstrations against COVID passports and vaccine mandates took place across Europe this weekend, with protests taking place in Northern Ireland, Croatia, Switzerland, Italy and the Netherlands on Saturday.
Impassioned protestors rallied in huge numbers against mandatory vaccinations, lockdown measures, restrictions and COVID passports, the latter of which are now needed in many European countries to gain entry to restaurants, nightclubs, Christmas markets or sports events.
In Belfast, traffic was brought to a standstill and public transport was diverted as crowds gathered in the city centre on Saturday to protest the planned introduction of COVID passports in the region. The demonstration, attended by hundreds, coincided with the long-awaited opening of Belfast’s popular Christmas market, which has been closed since the COVID crisis hit in 2020.
VIDEO: Protest against 'Vaccine Passports' held outside Belfast City Hall.
The good people of Northern Ireland stand against COVID Communism. #NoVaccinePassports #NoToCoercedVaccination pic.twitter.com/LUUdrs5YQ0
— 🇬🇧 Jolene Bunting 🇬🇧 (@jolenebuntinguk) November 20, 2021
All visitors to the market, located in the grounds of Belfast City Hall, are required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test result.
While Sinn Fein, the SDLP, Alliance and UUP ministers backed the Covid pass , those from the DUP voted against it. The DUP did not deploy a cross-community voting mechanism that would have blocked the introduction of certification in the region; however, the party has called for a vote to take place in the Assembly before the policy is introduced.
In response to the move, DUP First Minister Paul Givan slammed the certification policy as ‘divisive’ and said it would only have a ‘marginal’ impact on reducing transmission rates. Mr Givan also said it would create a ‘two-tier’ system whereby certification was required for certain private sector businesses but not for accessing public services.
In videos posted from the event, applause and cheering could be heard from the crowd as multiple speakers vowed to resist the introduction of COVID passports in Northern Ireland. Health Minister Robin Swann and chief medical officer Michael McBride were called out by speakers for their handling of the COVID crisis, whilst DUP Leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson and Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill were also mentioned by speakers who vowed to resist the latest set of measures introduced to tackle COVID cases, the Press Association reported. It comes as Robin Swann proposed that the Assembly be given the opportunity to debate the proposed introduction of COVID passes before the enforcement becomes law, in-line with the DUP’s wishes.
Really good turnout for the #NoVaccinePassportsAnywhere protest in Belfast City Centre today 👏 pic.twitter.com/hr3p1TSUYI
— Paddy Barnes OLY (@paddyb_ireland) November 20, 2021
One Twitter user said that “people have had enough” and that “protests in every country” were “growing day by day”.
https://twitter.com/Dempz8/status/1462467227060473869?s=20
In the Austrian capital of Vienna, tens of thousands of protestors spilled onto the streets after the Austrian government announced a nationwide lockdown starting today (22 November) amid a climb in case numbers. The Austrian government also threatened mandatory vaccinations, stating that all residents of the country would have to be vaccinated from 1 February 2022.
https://twitter.com/anoncitizenuk/status/1462426644094857219?s=21
Massive protest in Vienna, Austria today against the new lockdown, plus mandatory vaccinations which the tyrannical Austrian government plans to implement starting in February. pic.twitter.com/bOjoBbjj5y
— Brittany Sellner (@BrittPettibone) November 20, 2021
The march began at Vienna’s massive Heldenplatz square, as chants of “Resistance!” broke out and people blew whistles. Many waved Austrian flags and carried signs mocking Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg and Health Minister Wolfgang Mueckstein as they made their way down the city’s inner ring road. Signs emblazoned with phrases like “My Body, My Choice” and “We’re Standing for Our Kids!” were held aloft, referring to the vaccine mandate.
Austria put the unvaccinated under lockdown and will require MANDATORY vaccination.
This is the peoples response.
Tens of thousands took to the streets of Vienna today to protest for freedom👇pic.twitter.com/Oph5AlftEs
— PeterSweden (@PeterSweden7) November 20, 2021
Reports state that 35,000 protestors participated in different marches across the city, according to police. Herbert Kickl, leader of the Freedom Party, appeared via video link, taking the opportunity to denounce what he labelled “totalitarian” measures from an Austrian government “that believes it should think and decide for us”.
Meanwhile, in neighbouring Switzerland, 2,000 people protested an upcoming referendum on whether to approve the government’s COVID-19 restrictions law, arguing it was discriminatory, according to public broadcaster SRF.
Also on Saturday, large crowds gathered in the Netherlands, one day after Dutch police opened fire on protesters and seven people were injured in chaotic scenes in Rotterdam. Thousands gathered in central Dam square, despite organisers calling off the protest. Those involved walked peacefully through the streets, under the watchful eye of police.
“This policy (anti coronavirus measures) makes a lot of conflicts between the people,” Hugo Gietelink from Amsterdam told The Associated Press. “I think it is very important that the vaccinated and non-vaccinated have to make a friendship again.” In the Dutch city of Breda, a few hundred people also took to the streets to protest vaccine mandates and COVID passports, with organisers stating that they didn’t support what happened in Rotterdam.
Thousands flocked to Rome in Italy, taking to the capital’s Circus Maximus – a field where in ancient times, Romans would stage entertainment- to protest against COVID passports which are required at workplaces,, restaurants, cinemas, and other venues, as well as for long-distance journeys on buses, trains and ferries.
Otto Carpenter on Twitter: “Have seen almost zero news coverage of this. Apparently, American MSM doesn’t consider global protests against Covid mandates newsworthy. Rome, Vancouver, Manchester, New York, Austria, Vienna. https://t.co/nsDw5Y5yUE” / Twitter <https://twitter.com/otto_carpenter/status/1462418940819345411>
“People like us never give up,” one sign, painted in the colours of the Italian flag, read. On social media, one user shared footage from the event, writing: “Rome stands strong tonight against totalitarianism spreading across the free world.”
Others called out media coverage, in particular the New York Times, who had reported that Italian protests were ‘fizzling.’ “Fizzling? Don’t think so,” one user wrote.
NYT today – “Protests in Italy fizzle.”
Italians respond – “We will never give up! We will never give up!” https://t.co/58lA06FQ69
— Aaron Ginn (@aginnt) November 21, 2021
In Croatia, thousands assembled in the capital of Zagreb “carrying flags, nationalist and religious symbols, along with banners against vaccination and what they describe as restrictions of people’s freedoms,” according to Al Jazeera.
Croatians have risen up against covid pass, segregation and discrimination! 🇭🇷
Protest in #Zagreb today. pic.twitter.com/W23trWW28z
— Based Croatia (@Based_Croatia) November 20, 2021
“Jutarnji list reported that as many as 10 buses came from Split, five buses from Zadar, four each from Šibenik, Rijeka, Osijek and Istria, two each from Vinkovci and Varaždin, and one each from Bjelovar and Dubrovnik,” Croatia Week said.
An aerial view posted to social media of the Croatian protest showed a jam-packed square, with protestors taking to two locations in the centre of the capital, with both groups marching towards the main square holding their national flag. In communications promoting the event, Croatian organisers definitely stated that: “Freedom is not for sale”. At the protest, chants of “We are not giving you our children” could be heard from the crowd.
Croatia:
Chants of "We are not giving you our children" as anti Coronavirus passport and mandate protests hit Zagreb.
Credit: Telegram pic.twitter.com/ykuhM6hf3O— Jo 🏴 (@pimpmytweeting) November 20, 2021
Some of those present reported that “the main square of the capital city was full” as participants vowed, “We will be there until the end of this dictatorship.”
The authorities in each of these European countries say that restrictions are necessary to deal with rising Covid-19 cases.