THOUSANDS PROTEST BELGIUM’S TIGHTER COVID-19 MANDATE RULES

Sun 21 November 2021:

Police in Brussels used tear gas at protesters opposing COVID-19 restrictions, who responded by erecting barricades, according to local media on Sunday.

Several of the demonstrators caught up in the clash wore hoods and carried Flemish nationalist flags.

The stand-off with riot police took place near the Belgian capital’s EU and government district.

According to authorities, the permitted demonstration drew over 35,000 participants and resulted in traffic being halted in many streets and tunnels in the city center.

Belgians are protesting the progressive adoption of COVID-19 certificates, which the government has made a requirement for admission to a variety of public areas such as restaurants, movie theaters, and gyms.

On Wednesday, the Belgian government tightened restrictions in response to the fourth COVID-19 wave. Citizens under the age of ten were compelled to wear face masks in all public places except schools. Employers were asked to set aside at least four days per week for remote work.

Europe is battling another wave of infections and several countries have tightened curbs despite high levels of vaccination, especially in the west of the continent.

Belgium, one of the countries hit the hardest by the latest wave, on Wednesday expanded its work-from-home rules and strengthened curbs against the unvaccinated.

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