Protests against Covid-19 restrictions have taken place in a number of countries
PARIS (Monitoring Desk) On Saturday, more than 100,000 people protested across Australia, France, Italy, and Greece, resulting in conflicts with police as they Protests against Covid-19 restrictions and government punishments against the unvaccinated in an attempt to persuade more people to obtain vaccinations.
After an illegal march in Sydney, dozens of demonstrators were arrested, with the city’s police minister describing those who took part as “morons.” The protest had been named a “freedom” rally by its organisers. “Wake up Australia” and “Drain the Swamp” were written on signs and banners held by protesters. In the Protests against Covid-19 restrictions.
An approximately 160,000 demonstrators gathered in France to demonstrate against President Emmanuel Macron’s health law, which will severely restrict unvaccinated people to have access to eateries and public locations. Tear gas and water cannon are being used against some demonstrators.
The protests highlight a global tension between people who are caught between the World Health Organization’s and other public health authorities’ guidance and the necessity to earn a living or just revert to a pre-pandemic lifestyle. Governments in Indonesia and the United Kingdom have continued to relax restrictions despite rising prices. 5,000 protesters marched in Athens, per an AFP journalists on the scene, carrying signs with phrases like “Don’t touch our children.”
In Rome, people marched to show their opposition to an obligatory “green pass” for indoor dining and activities. Demonstrators attacked officers with pot plants and bottles of water earlier in Sydney, defying a month-long remain order a day after authorities warned the limitations could go until October.
Gladys Berejiklian, the state premier of New South Wales, described the demonstrators as “utterly disgusting,” saying their “selfish actions have jeopardised the safety of all of us.” According to authorities, nearly 100 punishments were issued and 57 persons were arrested in the Protests against Covid-19 restrictions. Meanwhile, six persons were apprehended in Melbourne, according to the police.
In the following days, a team of investigators will analyse film to identify and charge as many people as possible, according to New South Wales Police Minister David Elliott.
Legislation currently being proposed by MPs would make vaccinations mandatory for certain occupations, while the contentious health measure would severely limit holdouts’ social lives beginning in July. There were indicators that the stronger restrictions proposed on July 13 were working: As of Friday, 48 percent of the population had been fully vaccinated, up 8% points from July 10.
