Clashes opposed the police and people hostile to the restrictions linked to the Covid-19 pandemic, during a demonstration which brought together tens of thousands of people, in Brussels, on Sunday January 23.
According to the authorities, around 50,000 people marched in the Belgian capital, some from other European countries. This is the largest in a series of protests in the city over the past few months.
Clashes erupted near European Union headquarters as police used water cannons and tear gas to push back protesters who were throwing cobblestones and firecrackers. According to RTL radio, masked protesters smashed a window at the entrance to the EU foreign affairs headquarters.
URGENT – Lone police officers targeted by projectiles are forced to take refuge in the metro. Tensions.… https://t.co/drCkiYFh9o
The participants in this parade, more crowded than previous processions, carried placards criticizing the Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo, as well as the sanitary pass.
Demonstrations against the health certificate – required to access restaurants and cultural events in particular – have been taking place regularly for several weeks in the Belgian capital. Some of the previous rallies had already been marked by clashes with the police.
Protesters from several countries
Organizers, including the World Wide Demonstration for Freedom and Europeans United for Freedom movements, had invited protesters from other European countries to participate on Sunday. Dutch, Polish, French and Romanian flags were visible in the procession.
The protest comes as some governments move towards reducing health restrictions, despite the persistence of the Omicron variant. The latter is now dominant in the European Union, announced the European Health Agency on Friday.
Belgium has seen a jump in daily cases above 60,000 in the past week, with authorities citing a « tsunami ». But the less deleterious effects of the Omicron variant and a high rate of vaccination have allowed the health system to be less under pressure than during previous waves. In this context, the Prime Minister announced on Friday that restaurants and bars could extend their opening hours. Nightclubs will remain closed.
In France, the government announced Thursday evening the lifting, in February, of most of the restrictions taken to curb the epidemic: end of wearing a mask outdoors and compulsory teleworking, reopening of nightclubs and return of standing concerts.