Sun 05 December 2021:
Thousands of people gathered on Friday to protest the government’s new guidelines, which were issued for the third week in a row as an avalanche of new cases strains the country’s health services, depriving individuals with other life-threatening conditions of treatment.
The “Liberty Walk Act 2” protest opposed restrictions imposed in October requiring a Covid pass for people to enter public venues like bars and restaraunts – as the government tries to put a lid on the country’s surging Covid cases.
Shouting “Freedom! Freedom!” and carrying banners that said, “United for our freedom, rights and our children”, protesters marched to the European Union headquarters. Some also carried signs critical of vaccines and against making vaccination mandatory.
After a brief stand-off with police, protesters threw rubbish and other objects, including a bicycle, at police and set off firecrackers and flares.
Police used water cannon and fired tear gas to disperse the crowd. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
Violence also erupted two weeks ago in a similar protest that drew 35,000 people. Sunday’s numbers were closer to a few thousand, Reuters reported.
On a weekly average, 17,862 new daily cases were reported in Belgium, a rise of 6% compared to the previous week. Hospital admissions rose 4%. More than 3,700 people are in hospital with the virus, 821 of them in intensive care. More than 27,000 people with the virus have died in Belgium since the outbreak began last year.
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