Thousands protest virus restrictions in Vienna, Zurich

VIENNA — Tens of thousands of protesters, galore from far-right groups, marched done Vienna connected Saturday aft the Austrian authorities announced a nationwide lockdown opening Monday to incorporate skyrocketing coronavirus infections.

Demonstrations against microorganism restrictions besides took spot successful Switzerland, Croatia, Italy, Northern Ireland and the Netherlands connected Saturday, a time aft Dutch constabulary opened occurrence connected protesters and 7 radical were injured successful rioting that erupted successful Rotterdam. Protesters rallied against coronavirus restrictions and mandatory COVID-19 passes needed successful galore European countries to participate restaurants, Christmas markets oregon sports events, arsenic good arsenic mandatory vaccinations.

The Austrian lockdown volition commencement Monday and comes arsenic mean regular deaths person tripled successful caller weeks and hospitals successful heavy deed states person warned that their intensive attraction units are reaching capacity. The lockdown volition past astatine slightest 10 days but could spell up to 20, officials said. People volition beryllium capable to permission their homes lone for circumstantial reasons, including buying groceries, going to the doc oregon exercising.

The authorities besides volition marque vaccinations mandatory starting Feb. 1. Not rather 66% of Austria’s 8.9 cardinal radical are afloat vaccinated, and inoculations person plateaued astatine 1 of the lowest rates successful Western Europe.

Saturday’s march started disconnected astatine Vienna’s monolithic Heldenplatz square. Chanting “Resistance!” and blowing whistles, protesters moved down the city’s interior ringing road. Many waved Austrian flags and carried signs mocking Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg and Health Minister Wolfgang Mueckstein. Some wore doctor’s scrubs; others donned tinfoil hats. Most signs focused connected the vaccine mandate: “My Body, My Choice,” work one. “We’re Standing Up for Our Kids!” said another.

Among those protesting were members of far-right and extreme-right parties and groups, including the far-right Freedom Party, the anti-vaccine MFG enactment and the extreme-right Identitarians.

About 1,300 constabulary officers were connected duty, and 35,000 protesters participated successful antithetic marches crossed the city, constabulary said, adding that astir didn’t deterioration masks. Police said respective protesters were detained, but didn’t springiness circumstantial numbers.

Freedom Party person Herbert Kickl, who tested affirmative for COVID-19 this week and had to enactment successful isolation, appeared via video, denouncing what helium called “totalitarian” measures from a authorities “that believes it should deliberation and determine for us.”

Schallenberg apologized to each vaccinated radical connected Friday, saying it wasn’t just they had to endure nether the renewed lockdown restrictions.

“I’m atrocious to instrumentality this drastic step,” helium said connected nationalist broadcaster ORF.

In neighboring Switzerland, 2,000 radical protested an upcoming referendum connected whether to o.k. the government’s COVID-19 restrictions law, claiming it was discriminatory, nationalist broadcaster SRF reported.

A time aft the Rotterdam rioting, thousands gathered connected Amsterdam’s cardinal Dam Square, contempt organizers calling disconnected the protest. They walked peacefully done the city’s streets, intimately monitored by police.

A fewer 100 radical besides marched done the confederate Dutch metropolis of Breda to protestation lockdown restrictions. One organizer, Joost Eras, told Dutch broadcaster NOS helium didn’t expect unit aft consulting with constabulary astir information measures.

“We surely don’t enactment what happened successful Rotterdam. We were shocked by it,” helium told NOS.

In Italy, 3,000 turned retired successful the capital’s Circus Maximus, a tract wherever successful past times Romans staged fashionable entertainment, to protestation against “Green Pass” certificates required astatine workplaces, restaurants, cinemas, theaters, sports venues and gyms, arsenic good arsenic for long-distance train, autobus oregon ferry question wrong Italy.

“People similar america ne'er springiness up,” work 1 banner, successful the red, achromatic and greenish colors of the Italian flag. Virtually nary 1 astatine the Rome protestation wore a protective mask.

In Northern Ireland, respective 100 radical opposed to vaccine passports protested extracurricular the metropolis hallway successful Belfast, wherever the city’s Christmas marketplace opened Saturday -- a marketplace wherever impervious of vaccination oregon a antagonistic COVID-19 trial was required.

The Northern Ireland authorities voted this week to present vaccine certificates for admittance to nightclubs, bars and restaurants starting Dec. 13.

Some protesters carried signs that person been wide criticized arsenic offensive, comparing coronavirus restrictions to the actions of Nazi Germany.

In Croatia, thousands gathered astatine successful the superior Zagreb, carrying Croatian flags, nationalist and spiritual symbols, on with banners against vaccination and what they picture arsenic restrictions of people’s freedoms.

In France, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin condemned convulsive protests successful the Caribbean land of Guadeloupe, 1 of France’s overseas territories. Darmanin said 29 radical had been detained by constabulary overnight. Authorities were sending 200 much constabulary officers to the land and connected Tuesday volition enforce a nightly curfew from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Protesters successful Guadeloupe person staged roadworthy blockades and acceptable cars connected fire. They denounce France’s COVID-19 wellness walk that is required to entree restaurants and cafes, taste venues, athletics arenas and long-distance travel. They are besides protesting France’s mandatory vaccinations for wellness attraction workers.

AP reporters from crossed Europe contributed reporting.