Weekend protests against new Covid restrictions took place in England, Northern Ireland, Germany, Belgium and Finland. The large-scale protests come as governments across the world threaten to impose new lockdowns in the wake of the discovery and spread of the Omicron variant, over 18 months on from the initial Covid-19 lockdown in March 2020.
Thousands descended on London to protest fresh restrictions being threatened for the UK, with UK demonstrations organised by groups including ‘Save Our Rights,’ ‘The Great Reopening’ and ‘Take a Stand London’. The demonstration against the imposition of a lockdown, mass testing and vaccine passports, took place in Westminster. Saturday’s protest was supported by an umbrella movement, “Together for Declaration,” with 170,000 signatures in solidarity from members of the public including business, religious and campaign leaders, as well as MPs.
Tweeting a video capturing the huge crowds present, one user wrote that the support of so many ‘rebel’ MPs evidenced that an anti-lockdown and anti-mandatory vaccination stance was not an extreme one.
“The 101 rebel MPs showed you that our position isn’t an extreme one, I am simply here for a free society, against coercion, against mandatory vaccinations and in support for my struggling industry […] We are the majority.”
https://twitter.com/hushlaa/status/1472184096352837637?s=20
In Belfast, an anti-lockdown protest took place just two weeks on from a demonstration in the city centre during which thousands opposed the introduction of Covid passports in the region. Organisers have said the protests, which have gathered momentum, will continue to take place every two weeks for the foreseeable future.
https://twitter.com/Jennijeremies/status/1472209340778037252?s=20
Tweeting about the protest, someone said that it was about people from across the political divide uniting to make a stand about being ‘discriminated against’ and having freedoms stripped back. The user also said they were saddened as they claimed that some republicans had openly ‘mocked and belittled’ the protest despite broad-based support from normal working class people.
One of saddest things I’ve seen today is so called republicans openly mocking & belittling today’s protest in Belfast,what where mostly normal working class people from both sides of the fence united in making a stand about being discriminated & having there freedoms taken away
— Jay (@JasonSmall1916) December 18, 2021
Thousands are believed to have attended Saturday’s protest, with claims on social media that the demonstrations set to take place regularly are “getting bigger and bigger” as citizens of the North challenge the Stormont government on the implementation of Covid passports and a potential new lockdown.
These protests are getting bigger and bigger!! #belfastprotest #NoVaccinePassports https://t.co/QpmxeVrueU
— 🎯 Bullseye (@Bullsey50819952) December 18, 2021
The protest once again took place outside Belfast City Hall and traffic came to a standstill in the City Centre due to the large crowds.
https://twitter.com/comexdefault/status/1472583842800279561?s=20
It comes as reports surfaced last week that the hospitality industry in Northern Ireland was ‘in freefall’ amid new Covid rules that mean those visiting licensed premises must present proof of full vaccination or else a negative Covid test result.
The situation is “unsustainable” according to leading industry body Hospitality Ulster.
Hospitality Ulster chief executive Colin Neill said the hospitality sector has found itself in crisis, as venues report many Christmas events being cancelled.
“The industry is in freefall,” Mr Neil told BBC News NI on Thursday.
“We have seen practically all our Christmas bookings cancelled, consumer confidence wiped out and we have extra restrictions on top of this as well […] We are unsustainable in this situation.”
He voiced serious concern about the 73,000 people across the North who rely on hospitality for a living, stating: “I estimate if you take Christmas, we do a third of our year’s turnover – our normal turnover is £2bn, we are above £200m in lost revenue.
“If [ministers] don’t step in it’s a false economy because we will have businesses going bust.
“Almost 73,000 people depend on hospitality for a living – do we just throw them on the scrapheap?”
In Hamburg in Germany, thousands took to the city streets to protest against ‘Covid tyranny’. A video of the view from above showed immense crowds chanting and marching through the streets at the night-time event as the country moved to ban travel from the UK. Only German citizens and British residents of Germany are allowed to enter the country.
https://twitter.com/Superwo70657456/status/1472895292731281409?s=20
https://twitter.com/kr3at/status/1472730374551879680?s=20
“Thousands on the streets of Hamburg, Germany tonight, millions worldwide rallied today against covid tyranny, growing every week,” one user in support of the protest wrote on Twitter.
In Brussels in Belgium, thousands also marched against Covid restrictions. The protest was described as “hectic” online with reports of police dispensing tear gas to disperse crowds and claims that journalists who were present to report on the protest were attacked.
A protester kicks a tear gas away during clashes with riot police after a demonstration against COVID-19 measures in Brussels, Belgium on Dec. 19, 2021. #Protest #antivaxxers #demo #Bruxelles pic.twitter.com/v6q7a3ukUC
— Alexandros Michailidis (@Alexandros__M) December 19, 2021
Hectic scene in Brussels, Belgium at a protest against vaccine passes and restrictions.
Police attacked a journalist and drowned a park with teargas. pic.twitter.com/augT4cfz9f
— Marie Oakes (@TheMarieOakes) December 19, 2021
Sharing footage of the chaos which unfolded, one person tweeted that tension in response to Covid passports and mandates had reached boiling point: “Scenes from the home of the EU, Brussels today as protests against covid passports and mandates reached boiling point.”
https://twitter.com/Jaded42358177/status/1472874196694966276?s=20
In Turku, the former capital on the southwest coast of Finland, another large-scale protest against Covid measures took place, once again signalling a European-wide movement in rebellion to government-imposed measures to deal with the spread of Omicron. The protest was described as ‘huge’ with video footage posted online showing crowds holding the Finnish flag as they marched through the city.
Anti-vax mandate protest in Czech Republic
Malmö Sweden
Turku Finland
Luxembourg pic.twitter.com/UROhLqyXvJ— Lee Golden (@LeeGolden6) December 18, 2021
https://twitter.com/jani_ketola/status/1472635790224240646?s=20
The protest came shortly after the Bank of Finland downgraded its economic outlook due to Covid. Inflation has risen sharply in the country, with the rising prices of goods triggered by strong demand according to the Bank, which also said that energy prices have increased. The Covid epidemic has caused the Finnish state to accumulate a huge amount of debt, with public finances still in deficit at the end of the forecast period in 2024, according to the bank.
The authorities in each of these European countries insist that restrictions are necessary to deal with rising cases of the Omicron variant.
The 101 rebel MPs showed you that our position isn’t an extreme one,
I am simply here for a free society, against coercion, against mandatory vaccinations and in support for my struggling industry.#EnoughIsEnough #londonprotest
We are the majority. pic.twitter.com/OHZns2T7Zz
— Adam Brooks AKA EssexPR 🇬🇧 (@EssexPR) December 18, 2021